Famiglia
by Azurez
Summary: Being abandoned by the Dursleys in Japan and ending up saving an innocent woman from an attack hadn't been in Harry's plans for the summer. However, he will continue walking the same path as his Family. Slash.
1. Crossing Paths

Chapter One: Crossing Paths

"I-I'm sorry, can you repeat that, please?"

Harry felt a chill creep up his spine as he stared up at the receptionist's sympathetic face. Her eyes flickered back to her screen as the sounds of her manicured fingers tapped through the air. He watched her closely, his anxiety and horror mounting. It could be ... there was just no way. _They weren't that desperate, were they?_ He swallowed as the woman's eyes looked upon him with sorrow; she pursed her bright-red lips as she leaned forward and gripped his hand.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she started. "According to my data, the Dursleys did in fact book a suite with three bedrooms. Unfortunately they didn't check in, so we were forced to cancel it." Her answer left him reeling, his emotions quickly changing from desperation to horror to shock and finally resignation. "Do you want me to call someone for you or perhaps get in touch with the police?"

Harry shook his head. "No. It's fine, I'll just ... I'll figure something out."

Before the woman could stop him, Harry ran out of the building without a second thought. He didn't have any place to go or anyone to run to, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Harry headed onto the streets of a foreign country with little knowledge of the customs and language. It didn't help that it was pouring rain either. Nonetheless, he let himself get drenched out of defeat and emotional fatigue. Now he had to deal with the consequences. The only place Harry could think to go would be the airport, in hopes of getting on a plane or locating the Japanese wizarding section. As far as he knew, each and every country had a magical area to seek help from. Hermione gave a long and deep lecture about the other magical communities around the world. Unfortunately, that had been on a rather long day, and neither Harry nor Ron was really in the mood to focus.

He personally blamed the Dementors, and he blamed Snape, too. _A total prick, that one._

Overall, Harry considered himself rather lucky to have kept his wand and a small English-to-Japanese dictionary with him. Taking out the small blue book, the raven-haired boy allowed himself to relax for the moment. At least, he wasn't totally screwed.

Why didn't he purchase some books that dealt with traveling and local magical hotspots?

Harry made a mental note to get to the nearest bookstore and find some books. For now, he focused on trying to find some place to stay for the night. Easier said than done, as leaving the hotel hadn't been the best or brightest idea of his.

"Where can I even go?" Harry asked himself, rainwater seeping into his sneakers. The cold was finally starting to catch up to him, so he wrapped his arms around his body. He ignored the concerned and uncertain stares of passersby as he continued to walk down the path, looking at all the foreign symbols and street signs. Once again, he cursed his stupidity for leaving the inn. He hoped he'd be able to get somewhere safe and warm soon enough.

It was times like these where he wished Hedwig were with him. Though he doubted that he'd see his precious owl ever again. Knowing the Dursleys, they'd probably find some way to get rid of her. He cringed at the image of his dead owl. Then again, she was highly intelligent and should able to read the Dursleys just as he did. Though he didn't expect that they would abandon him in Japan of all places. Still, he should've realized something was up when Vernon had announced he had a job deal with the Japanese branch for Grunnings.

There was no branch company.

His fists clenched and his eyes narrowed darkly at the memory. He was stupid for actually buying that tripe! He should have realized that something was wrong when Vernon and Petunia allowed him to come to Japan, despite the fact that Dudley also came along. He knew there was a something wrong, but he ended up ignoring and pushing it to the side. He kept that idealistic and childish belief that the Dursleys were finally beginning to accept magic (which was utterly impossible after inflating Marge). The fact that he told them Sirius Black was his godfather would have sounded their warning bells.

What was the best way to get rid of him? Sending him somewhere far, _far_ away from them.

It was perfect and clean. No one would have ever been able to tell what the Dursleys had done. After all, there wouldn't be fingerprints or anything else suspicious if they returned to Privet Drive sans one ungrateful, little brat. Since Harry was usually locked up in the house or busy doing all the chores, no one would've noticed he was missing in the first place!

Or maybe they'd tell everyone on the block that he'd been forced to attend St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. The neighbors would've eaten it up. They were just as mindless as the student body of Hogwarts, following rumors and gossip without using their brains. It disgusted him; yet he'd accepted the reality that people just wanted to believe whatever they wanted. They didn't desire to find the truth.

The idea of siccing Hermione on them was rather delightful, and he chuckled under his breath. Harry imaged his bushy-haired friend verbally ripping apart the residents of Privet Drive. The thought of his dear friend was endearing as Harry briefly wondered what she was up to. The previous year was rather difficult on her due to her usage of the Time Turner, even if it had helped them saved innocent lives. One of them being Harry's godfather, who was unjustly imprisoned in the wizarding prison, Azkaban. It was a horrible place where Dementors roamed freely, feasting on the souls and happiness of those sent there.

The freezing air and rain reminded him greatly of the presence of said creatures.

_What time is it?_ Harry wondered, looking up at the darkened skies. _It can't be that late, could it?_ Tiredly shaking his head, he continued to walk down the streets of a marketplace. He decided to take a look around, keening with interest.

He was unable to recall at exactly what time the Dursleys boarded the plane and he didn't remember the time difference between England and Japan. By his guess, it was probably a dozen hours or more.

Scowling at himself, he felt the sudden urge to slam his head against the nearest wall. He should've brought a watch or something that told time. He'd never felt so lost and alone before. No ... that wasn't right. He felt isolated, again.

No one could understand him, and he was unable to understand anyone else around him. Getting over a language barrier would be difficult, even with the dictionary. Harry was unable to think of any other alternative of what to do. Either way, he'd find someway to survive in Japan, even if it meant resorting to life on the streets.

_It could be worse._ Harry told himself as he continued to walk down the street with his head down. He tried to maintain a calm and well-adjusted expression. _There are worse things than being stranded in a different country. No need to get all angry and annoyed. After all, I could be dead._

Voldemort would probably end up finding a way to revive himself before killing Harry, anyway. At that thought, Harry was finally starting to realize just how much he was beginning to lose his mind. Just perfect.

Harry stopped in his stride, seeing a young woman with an indigo top and white skirt. She held her bag close to her chest as three rougher looking men approached her, wearing sinister smiles. It didn't take much for him to figure out that they were up to no good. Glancing around, he noticed the lack of people walking around, much to his surprise. From what he remembered while reading before boarding the plane, Japan was over populated and crowed in the cities. Regardless, now wasn't the time to take note of the scenery, Harry returned his attention to the woman. He watched as one of the three men said something in a rather brutish-like manner as he took a step forward.

The woman shook her head and stepped back, looking fearfully at him.

_Screw it._ _I can't let her get hurt! _Dashing forward, he managed to prevent one of the three men from grabbing the woman's bag. Their attention twisted back onto him as he grabbed his arm. "You know, it's not nice to take things that aren't yours. Why don't you three run along home before someone gets hurt."

The three were taken back by his British accent, while the guy in front of Harry smirked. "_Hey, guys. Looks like we'll be having twice the fun tonight! An old bat and a foreigner!_"

The two behind him let out loose and wild laughter. It didn't go over Harry's head, as his emerald eyes narrowed darkly. He glared at the three with great intimidation and they suddenly froze. Their fear could be tasted in the wind. They stared at this small boy, who looked so fragile and broken that there was no way he'd be able to fight against them! The leader shuddered as he continued to look deep into his green eyes, finding himself utterly lost in its cold darkness.

They held a mature edge, as volumes of suffering were made evident. The kid's eyes also promised pain. Deep levels of pain, if they dared to attempt to harm anyone. Frowning thinly, the man snorted. Screw that, he wasn't dealing with this shit.

Not until he got reinforcements, anyway.

"_This isn't fun,_" the leader sneered, throwing the boy's arm down before turning away. Walking past the two boys, he shouted, "_L__et's go._"

The one of the left said in surprise, "_Boss!_"

"_A__re you sure, man__?_" the third one asked with surprise, looking at their leader. "_W__e can totally take him!_"

The leader glared at them darkly, causing the two to scramble behind him. They left Harry and the woman standing alone and rather confused by what happened. Either way, Harry was glad that the entire thing was resolved so easily and without violence. Letting his body relax, a smile appeared on his face. Looking up at the sky, it seemed to start clearing up, the rain coming to a stop. It seemed like everything was starting to turn out alright —

"_Thank you__!_" the woman cheered, placing her hands on Harry's shoulders and spinning him around to face her. She smiled brightly at him. "_Are you okay__?_"

Harry stared at her with confusion. "I'm sorry. I don't speak Japanese."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise, then she smiled again. "A-are you ... okay?" Her accent was broken and heavy as she attempted to speak his native tongue. Harry felt rather bad that he hadn't attempted to speak hers. "Come to my house. I'll patch you up."

"W-wait!" Harry protested as the woman grabbed him by the arm. She kept smiling brightly with absolutely no shame whatsoever. "I-I can't go with you. I don't even know your name!" His verbal response was able to get her to stop, as she turned towards him and stared deeply into his eyes. Good, at least now he was able to do something about all of —

"_Sawada Nana, nice to meet you_." The woman bowed to him politely, gesturing her hand towards him. "_What's your name_?"

Harry blinked. _Namae_? Oh ... name. "Potter, Harry." He bowed back to her. Alright, so names were out of the way; that was a step forward! "I'm sorry, Miss Sawada, but I really need to be going so ... argh!" The woman beamed once more as he was suddenly dragged on.

"Potter-kun, American?" Miss Sawada asked curiously, trying to keep her words in simple, small clips of English.

Harry shook his head. "English, Miss Sawada."

"Ah. _English_." Miss Sawada nodded as her eyes danced with excitement and wonder. "Tell me more?"

Harry sighed heavily as he found himself unable to resist the two giant brown eyes that were filled with childish desire. He found his lips begin moving as he began to tell her all about England, its weather and all the tourist attractions to visit. Somewhere in the world, Harry was certain Ron and the twins were laughing at his current predicament. Not that he minded; talking with Miss Sawada allowed him to find that she was a very beautiful and kind woman.

Unfortunate for him, Harry failed to realize that he was currently being watched.

A young baby wearing a black suit and fedora sat on a branch, watching them via green binoculars. An orange stripe around his hat and a yellow pacifier hanging from his neck were visible. Suddenly, the binoculars flashed a strange, multicolored light and changed into a small lizard. The baby's eyes glinted with interest with a wide smirk on his face.

"Potter, Harry, huh? I'll have to look deeper into your past."

* * *

><p>Tsuna could only stare on in despair at his test score; he shook his head lowly. Once again there was a giant fat zero marked in bright red at the very top of his paper. Even with Gokudera's studies, Reborn's Spartan training and Yamamoto's endless cheering, he was still unable to pass a simple math test! He looked to his two friends. Gokudea was doing everything in his power to cheer him up and Yamamoto suggested they have a late-night study session to pick up their grades. Needlessly to say, Tsuna nearly sighed with relief at the fact that Yamamoto also failed his test just like he had. He knew it was wrong of him. However, he could help but be grateful to know that he wasn't the only one that was struggling in school.<p>

"Don't worry, Jyuudaime!" the half-Italian declared, grinning ear to ear. "I will help you study and get a huge passing grade for the next test! With my help, there'll be no way you'll fail!" The sparkles and shines emitting from the boy were both frightening and amazing.

Just where did Gokudera get all of those sparkles, anyway?

Yamamoto simply laughed it off. "Of course Tsuna will pass!" His arm went around the younger boy's shoulder and he grinned widely. "Don't worry. It's just one test, Tsuna."

"Don't go and touch Jyuudaime, you baseball freak!" Gokudera shouted at him, glaring at the taller boy, who simply grinned back at him.

"Maa, maa. Gokudera, you need to loosen up more. Milk would help!"

"Idiot!"

Tsuna smiled a bit as he watched his two friends start up their never-ending shouting match. It was just another part of his daily life. At first, he found it extremely annoying, but as the months had rolled by, he came to love it. He looked at Yamamoto and Gokudera with a soft smile on his face; having friends was at the very top of his list to better his life. Still, Tsuna couldn't deny the fact that he was slowly going deaf.

Yet, it was worth it.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, bringing the boy out of his thoughts. "You alright?"

The boy blinked. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Yamamoto. No worries!" he said as they approached his house. "I'm sure you'll be able to stay for dinner again tonight. We still have lots of food left over from last night."

"You sure?" Yamamoto asked, scratching the back of his head. "I know Gokudera and I have been staying over an awful lot."

Tsuna shook his head, smiling at him. "No, it's fine. Besides, my mom's happy that I'm finally bringing friends over."

Yamamoto had the decency to flinch at his comment, not that he was one of those people that dared use the jibe 'Dame-Tsuna.' Yet, he was one of the people who didn't do anything about it. And, like the rest of the Namimori students, he avoided the boy for that reason alone. However, now that he was friends with Tsuna, he began to see a wider and broader view of the boy. Yamamoto could honestly say without a doubt that he was ashamed that he hadn't reached out and befriended Tsuna earlier. He, like the rest of the school, was blinded by a mere title. Now ... now he knew better. The fogged-up glasses he was seeing the world through had been removed, and now he could see clearly now.

Gokudera grinned. "I can't wait to try some of Mama's cooking!"

Nana had insisted on Yamamoto, Gokudera and pretty much everyone else Tsuna had brought home to call her Mama, much to Tsuna's embarrassment. However, none of the others seemed to have a problem with it, so he let it slide.

"Mom, I'm home!" Tsuna called out. The three got to the house, removing their shoes outside before entering.

A voice came from the kitchen, capturing Tsuna's attention. He and his friends slowly made their way to the other room. Tsuna frowned once he noticed Bianchi's long, pink hair through the cracks of the doorway coupled with the sounds of Lambo and Ipin coming from the other side. He opened it with full force and he was met with a shocker.

A young boy with messy, black hair and glass was sitting with his mother, smiling uncertainly as she chatted with him. Tsuna could see how thin and lithe the boy was; he seemed to be paying close attention on whatever his mother was saying in English, no matter how simple it was. However, her attention drifted for a moment as her eyes landed on him.

"Tsu-kun!" his mother cried out, leaping out of her chair and pulling him into a tight hug. "How are you?"

"M-mom!" Tsuna replied, as he was pulled deeply into her chest before he was released. "W-who is that and what is he doing here?"

Nana smiled. "This is Potter, Harry. He's from England, Tsu-kun!"

"That's nice," Tsuna remarked rather dryly, feeling slightly annoyed by the dodged question. He eyed the uncertain boy before returning to his mother. "Still, why is he here, mom?"

"I brought him here as a thank you for saving me from some thugs!" she answered without missing a beat. She was utterly oblivious to the three boys' slacked-jawed faces. Spinning around with joy, she said, "I couldn't just leave him out in the rain after he helped me. So I brought him here for supper!"

"M-mom!" Tsuna exclaimed.

Nana stopped her spinning. "Yes, Tsu-kun?"

"What about Potter-kun's family?" Tsuna questioned. "Don't they want to know where he is?"

Nana blinked. "I hadn't thought of that. I should probably give them a call!"

_You should have done that in the first place! _Tsuna thought wildly, only to sigh at his mother's oblivious and naïve nature. He gave a small smile before returning his attention to the foreigner, who sat across from him looking rather anxious and confused. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. Everyone calls me Tsuna, though."

The boy blinked a bit surprised, as he smiled hesitantly. "I-I am Potter, Harry. Nice to meet you, Tsuna-san?"

"Yamamoto Takeshi!" the baseball teen introduced himself, grinning wildly at the smaller boy.

Gokudera crossed his arms. "Gokudera Hayato." His tone was gruff and low as he glared at the foreigner teen that dared to come into Jyuudaime's house without his permission! Scowling at the smaller boy with immense distrust, he decided to keep an eye on this boy.

"N-Nice to meet you," Potter replied, stumbling with his English accent and broken Japanese phrases.

Tsuna couldn't help but feel pity for the boy, being dragged into his house and barely even able to speak the same language as them. If he were placed in Potter-kun's situation, he'd probably be crying or screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Potter-kun." The boy looked at him with confusion. Tsuna took a deep breath as he attempted to speak English. "We're going to my room. Come?"

Potter stared at him for several moments. "Tsuna-san's ... room?"

"Yes!" Tsuna nodded, relived that the boy knew how to speak some Japanese. Nevertheless, Tsuna had a strange feeling that it was going to be one hell of a night, as the four boys went upstairs and the rest remained in the kitchen.

Nana turned to Bianchi, wearing a smile. "The family is certainly growing. Isn't it, Bianchi? First it was Reborn, then Lambo and Ipin, then you and Dino. And now, Harry has joined us!" She giggled with a smile.

"Yes it has, mother." Bianchi replied with a smile, watching the four boys vanish to the other side of the doorway. She ended up frowning. She noticed how thin and fragile the boy looked, and how timid he was around other people. If her experiences as a hit-woman told her anything, it was that the boy had seen too much at his age. She couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to Harry in the past. Then again, that didn't matter now.

If Reborn had his way, Harry would soon be apart of the Family.

* * *

><p>Chapter one end.<p>

I've had this KHR x HP on the mind, and I finally relented to writing one out. I also want to apologize for my Japanese it's been awhile since I've used romanji. I hope that it's passable. I've yet to decide on all the pairings, and I'm willing to take some suggestions. However, I won't write the follow pairings 1827, 9627, 8059, K27, H27 or pair Hibari and Mukuro with anyone. So, please don't ask!

Please leave constructive criticism in your reviews!

Editing done by _Tetractys01._


	2. Change in the wind

Chapter Two: Winds of Change

To say Harry had an idea of what was going on would be a complete lie.

He watched the television screen as the taller boy, Yamamoto Takeshi, and the silver-haired boy, Gokudera Hayato, played a fighting videogame. It looked similar to the games he'd seen Dudley and Piers play before heading to Japan.

However, his eyes also seemed to have fallen on the boy known as Sawada Tsunayoshi or "Tsuna" as the boy preferred. His Japanese was still very rusty, but he was able to understand it or at least get the general feel of it.

Harry could sense the boy's uncertainty and anxiety, not that he could blame him. He'd not only invaded this kid's house but also his own bedroom. They barely even knew each other!

Harry couldn't help but feel rather guilty for making Tsuna uncomfortable within his own home. He winced as he gazed down to the floor, ashamed.

"_Ano_ ... Potter-kun?" Harry blinked, looking up to Tsuna in surprise. The brunet boy seemed to hesitate for a second. "You from Britain, yes?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Y-Yes ... I mean, _Yes. M-my Japanese is small, please be patient with me_."

"My English the same," Tsuna responded.

The two boys looked at each other, and after several moments they smiled and shared a rather large fit of laughter. Gokudera and Yamamoto stopped playing and turned their attention to the two. They watched in fascination as they kept laughing.

"You smiled!" Yamamoto exclaimed in English, pointing at Harry with excitement and relief. Without any sense of warning, he moved closer to Harry and draped an arm around the shorter teen's shoulder. He stopped when Harry suddenly froze at the touch. Takeshi frowned as he carefully stared at Harry before making a mental note of his uneasiness. Yamamoto carefully removed his arm. "Sorry! You must've had a bruise there!" He laughed it off before giving Harry an apologetic look.

Swallowing thickly, Harry smiled. "Y-Yeah. A bruise." He still wasn't used to people touching him. Very few people, like Mrs. Weasley for example, seemed to ignore his anxiety and hugged him, anyway. Even though he had become used to the bone crushing hugs, Harry really wished that she would respect his space. But he wasn't about to voice his opinion to her. Mrs. Weasley's anger was terrifying and loud. "T-Takeshi-san."

Yamamoto beamed happily. "_Right__!_" Finally, a person who called him by his first name! He hadn't been able to get Tsuna to call him that yet! Then again, Harry was from England, and as far as he was aware, westerners addressed each other by their given name rather than their family name. "_Hari-san!_"

"Yes ... _Yes,_"Harry responded, a small grin on his face. He looked to Tsuna and Gokudera. "T-Tsuna-san and H-Hayato-san."

Tsuna smiled. At least they were getting somewhere! Tsuna felt rather bad for Harry. While he didn't understand his circumstances, Tsuna knew that Harry didn't mean any ill intent nor wished to be a burden. He felt that there was a deeper reason for him being here in Japan.

Tsuna continued to watch Yamamoto and Harry chat, while Gokudera seemed content with glaring at them. He decided not to pry into the boy's business, and allowed Potter-san to get comfortable around them first.

Tsuna blinked. Was he thinking responsibly and maturely? Maybe Reborn's Spartan training _was_ good for him. He froze at that thought and decided to push it down, disregarding it as nothing more than a result of his loss of sanity.

Gokudera snorted. "_Pretty good ... for a foreigner!_" So what if this kid was able to communicate quickly? He'd been much faster than this kid; he glared at the raven-haired boy. Besides, he was also an unknown. Why were they being so friendly to him? For all they knew, he could be another assassin sent by Verde!

"Gokudera!" Tsuna exclaimed. He was shocked by how narrow-minded he was being.

Yamamoto frowned, looking at him crossly. "_That wasn't very nice, Gokudera._"

Harry titled his head, looking to Gokudera with uncertainty. What was happening and what did Hayato say, anyway? It didn't take a genius to see that something was said that shouldn't have been said. The more Harry looked deep into the silver-haired boy's eyes, the more he was able to pinpoint several emotions: anger, annoyance, guilt and pain. _Because of what?_ Harry still wasn't sure since the two were still talking in their native tongue.

"_I__'m sorry, Jyuudaime. That isn't what I meant,_" the half-Italian remarked as he stared at the floor with a beaten-puppy look. He just wanted to prove to Jyuudaime that the foreigner wasn't all that impressive. He didn't mean to come off as a racist! He scowled at himself for allowing his anger to take hold over him once again.

Tsuna sighed heavily. "_I__know, Gokudera-kun. I know,_" he said tiringly. Tsuna knew that he hadn't meant to be mean, but he really wished Gokudera would learn to think before saying anything or it'd get him in trouble one day.

_I don't understand what's going on._ Harry thought to himself while he watched Hayato seemed to bow his head in shame. Tsuna and Takeshi were staring at the teen, frowning. "Tsuna, Takeshi. _It's okay. No harm done._"

Tsuna blinked. "Oh? A-alright." He knew that Harry probably didn't understand what Gokudera said to him, but he supposed that it really wasn't that important in the end. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that it was getting close to dinner. He realized that his friends were probably going to stay over again. "Harry-kun? Would dinner stay?"

"Dinner? _Dinner here?_" Harry repeated as his tongue rolled around the Japanese.

Yamamoto looked to his shorter friend. "_You sure your mom won't mind, Tsuna?_"

"_She likes cooking,_" Tsuna said._ Plus, she's glad that I finally have friends. So I guess it's a win-win situation for the both of us._

The door slammed open as Lambo came running into the room laughing, while an irritated Ipin followed. The young girl jumped into the air and performed a spin-kick towards the cow-print wearing boy, only to miss as he dodged the attack.

"Nya-nyah!_Ipin can't catch me!_" Lambo mocked the girl.

Ipin glared. "_Lambo! Won't get away!_"

"_H-Hey! Watch it, you two!_" Tsuna called out. The two toddlers jumped around the room, as everything seemed to fall all over the place. He glared at them as Ipin attacked the boy again, who retaliated with his pink grenades. "_W-wait, Lambo. Don't!_"

Harry blinked. _Why are those grenades pink?_

"_You idiot cow!_" Gokudera snapped loudly, glaring at the young boy. Why was this kid always causing trouble for Jyuudaime? Couldn't he be a good little brat and leave them alone?

"_Oh! More of Lambo's toys!_" Yamamoto stated with a huge grin. "_They're so realistic nowadays!_" Takeshi didn't even consider how real the danger actually was. Lambo began to throw his grenades at Ipin furiously. Thankfully for Tsuna, Ipin was able to disarm them, placing them quietly on the ground.

"Hi-ya!" Ipin's foot connected with Lambo's face, sending the boy spiraling to the ground. The Chinese girl seemed rather pleased with her work, turning to Tsuna and the others and bowing politely. "_Ipin sorry!_"

"_N-No. It's fine, Ipin!_" Tsuna denied, trying to pacify the young girl. "_It's not your fault. Just ... please knock next time, alright? Neither you or Lambo can keep barging in like this!_"

Gokudera nodded sharply. "_Besides, it's the stupid cow's fault for disturbing Jyuudaime!_"

"_Now, now, Gokudera. Lambo's just acting like himself. Just leave him alone,_" Yamamoto said, trying to curb Gokudera's anger. "_He doesn't know any better. Just leave him be._"

Harry didn't really know what to do as his eyes glanced to the small boy, instantly feeling bad for the little guy. Though, from what he was able to get out of the Japanese conversation, it seemed as if this Lambo kid was a bit of a troublemaker, and it was a normal occurrence for the girl and Lambo to be fighting.

It was like a younger version of Hermione and Ron. He shuddered; what a scary thought.

"_M-must n-not cry ... _Waaah!" Lambo attempted to keep himself from crying as tears began to roll down his cheeks. His small hands reached deep into the black nest of his hair and pulled out a strange, purple machine.

"What the hell?" Harry commented in shock, looking at the contraption. How was Lambo able to get that thing in his hair? He watched in amazement as the machine was placed over the boy and Ipin and a loud boom went off. The room was quickly filled with pink smoke.

A rather tall, handsome boy with the same Afro hairstyle and a lazy eye spoke up. "_Yare, yare. Greetings, Young Vongola._" His tone was just as lazy as his expression. The teen was decked out in a black jacket and a cow-printed dress shirt underneath, a few chains hung from his pocket and jeans. His eye turned to Harry and he raised his hand. "_Ah, young Harry. I was wondering when you were going to show up._"

"_Oh, no!_" the girl spoke. She was standing in place wearing a delivery girl outfit. "_The ramen is going to get cold, again! Uncle Kawahiro won't like this!_"

The strange teen looked to her. "_Ipin. Before you go running off, at least greet Harry._"

"_H__arry? Harry-nii!_" the girl instantly exclaimed, her eyes falling to him.

Harry stared. _Harry ... nii? _Why did they know his name?

"A-ano, Harry-kun? Purple thing. Time … ten years in future f-for five minutes," Tsuna managed to get out, wincing at his terrible jumble.

Harry stared at Tsuna for several moments. "Time-travel?" He was quite curious as to how a bunch of muggles were able to develop time-travel.

"_Anyway, our time is almost up,_" Lambo stated with a shrug, looking rather bored. He narrowed his eyes as Gokudera opened his mouth. "_Don't ask questions. I won't answer them._"

Ipin looked to the half-Italian. "_It's better if you learned for yourself, rather than have us tell you everything._"

"_Tell us what?_" Tsuna asked, quite curious.

Ipin giggled. "_Nothing, Tsuna! You'll see._" Her eyes danced with mirth and her smile widened like a Cheshire cat. Before anyone could say anything at all, the two vanished back to the future. The four boys were left staring, a bit bewildered by what happened right in front of them.

Yamamoto, thankfully, had been the first one to break the silence. "_Kid's toys these days. I wish we had these back then!_"

_It's not a toy, Yamamoto! / Baseball freak! _Tsuna and Gokudera thought in unison.

Harry was stunned by the revelation of muggle time-travel as well as the machine Lambo used. He was trying to wrap his head around the entire concept; after experiencing the Time-turner just a few months back, Harry was rather reluctant to have access to something as dangerous as time magic. Yet, he couldn't deny the fascination of seeing the machine and its capabilities. It wasn't something that he got to see everyday, after all! His thoughts were interrupted when Tsuna's mother called them down for to dinner, and the six of them left the room and descended down the stairs to the kitchen.

Even though he barely knew any of them, Harry never felt so at home before.

* * *

><p>Reborn frowned as he removed his magnifying glass, looking at the files he managed to get via hacking. While it hadn't been difficult to obtain, the government and school records were a breeze compared to the usual computer grids he once worked with, the information he was able to gather was quite interesting.<p>

Harry was born in England where his biological parents, James Potter and Lily Potter had met their end by car crash. Though this was more likely speculation than concrete truth as far as he was able to find. He was placed with his closest blood relatives, the Dursleys. The photograph of the three made the Arcobaleno wonder if they were merely animals that were cursed into human form. One looked like a hippo, the other looked like a beached whale and the woman looked like a strangled giraffe! Nonetheless, these animals were of no concern to Reborn or his plans.

However, that was not what caught Reborn's curiosity. The kid's grades seemed to be all over the place. During his first few years of school, he had tops marks. Then, they began to drop through the later years of life. The boy suddenly vanished off the face of the Earth once he turned eleven years of age.

Either way, this Harry Potter piqued his interest. Smiling slyly, he put the papers away and pulled out a phone. He dialed a memorized set of numbers and waited as it went through.

"Hmmm, Reborn? What is it?" Shamal's disgruntled and slightly drunken voice came through. The lack of sounds in the background was a good indication that the man was most likely alone. Or he was stuck somewhere and unable to walk or move.

Reborn smirked widely, as some of his sadism leaked through. "I've found someone interesting. I want you to test them."

"This is unusual," Shamal replied, the sounds of his inebriation leaving his voice, becoming composed. "What's going on, Reborn? You're not the type to just ask me to test someone out of the blue. What's special about this person of interest?" A pause. "I know your grinning over there, tell me."

"Come to the beach tomorrow. Haru, Kyoko, Hana and Bianchi will be there," Reborn stated smoothly even though he was lying through his teeth. It didn't matter in the end; Bianchi would come if he asked her to and convincing the other girls to bring Hana along wouldn't be too difficult. They were easy to manipulate.

Shamal hummed pleasantly. "Well, if they're coming along ..." The sounds of perverted giggling could be heard across the line. "I don't see why not —"

"Don't be drunk," Reborn commented with a hard edge as he cut off the call. Though, his smirk was still wide. Everything was falling into place, and while Harry managed to save Nana, he'd yet to display his true strength and resourcefulness.

Between the current members of Tsuna's Family, each of them shared a trait. Tsuna was the boss, Gokudera was the tactician and firearms expert, Yamamoto was the natural killer, Ryohei was the physical muscle and strength, and Hibari was the necessary cruelty. However, the five of them lacked the speed that Harry seemed to posses, and there was also the fact that Harry seemed be the only member of Tsuna's family who spoke fluent English. The only draw back was that the boy barely knew any Japanese.

That had to be fixed immediately. Having another no-good student ... a cold, predatory smile appeared on his face. Oh, this was simply delicious.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you can't stay the night, Harry-kun?" Nana repeated. She was scared for the boy who saved her life. She felt a strange tiredness and resignation about him, which made her want to pull him into a hug and reassure him that everything would be alright. As she stared deeply into his emerald green pools, all she could see was pain and suffering that no child should ever have to deal with, and the way he looked nearly made her heart stop. Deep down, she was seething with rage. What kind of a parent or guardian would starve their children? She couldn't let Harry go back to those people! Plus, he was such a kind boy, too.<p>

Harry gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Sawada, but I really need to get going. Thank you for having me over for dinner. I hope you and your family have a good night. And thanks Tsuna, Takeshi, Hayato. It was fun!"

"A-alright!" Tsuna smiled hesitantly, only to frown. "Get home safely. Okay, Harry-kun?"

Yamamoto grinned. "_We'll definitely see you tomorrow!_"

"Tch," Gokudera sneered as he sent Harry a dark glare. "_Good night._" His tone was gruff and low, as his eyes remained trained on him. He still didn't trust this foreigner around Jyuudaime, just like he didn't trust the baseball freak!

Ignoring Gokudera's sneering, Harry bowed properly. "Have a good night!" He gave a wave as he walked down the road, watching as the door closed. The lights from the lamps shined brightly above him and he slipped his hands into his pockets. He continued to walk as he gazed at the dark night sky that hung above him. The cold breeze didn't really bother him that much; in fact, he rather enjoyed it. Harry always did prefer the night, he felt more secure and safe than he did during the day, but only because no one was actually awake or aware of their surroundings at night. He didn't have to worry about prying and intrusive eyes; the lack of pressure was a bonus, too.

It was nice, though ... being around Tsuna and the others. It was different from being around Ron and Hermione. With his friends from back home, Harry did feel a bit pressured into being a reckless adventurer and overall slacker.

Yet, with Tsuna and the others ... he couldn't put it into words. It felt nice. There was no pressure, no need to wear a mask. He could just be himself for once. The three Japanese boys were different from the types of people he usually came across.

Tsuna was shy and timid, and yet he didn't hesitate to welcome him with open arms. Harry felt a deep kinship with this boy, as if they were both being pulled into something so utterly complex and terrifying that neither wanted anything to do with. Their friends were the only reason they kept going. Yet, he could sense a strange power coming from the boy; it was wide and free and held endless potential. He could tell that Tsuna was going to make something out of himself one day. Harry was certain of that.

Takeshi was bouncy and friendly; he certainly had no problem with invading his personal space, much to his annoyance. Yet, he was the first to talk to him, even though their language barrier was difficult to get around. It hadn't discouraged the taller boy from trying to make Harry feel part of the group. He had a calming and trusting presence that brought Harry to ease, allowing him to relax. As the afternoon and evening rolled by, it didn't take long for Harry to consider the taller boy a close friend of his. It was odd for him; it usually took him forever to befriend people.

Hayato on the other hand, clearly disliked him. Harry had absolutely no idea as to why, but then again, he didn't seem to like Takeshi either. That didn't stop the taller teen from being out-going and friendly around Hayato, though. Harry really wished he could understand Hayato, just so he could figure out what he was saying. Sighing bemusedly, Harry decided that once he learned more Japanese, he could figure out the silver-haired boy's problem with him. His attitude was rough and strong, enough that Harry could practically feel the other boy's strength raging from across the room like a giant gust of wind. Though, it softened whenever Tsuna talked or when the kid said something to Gokudera.

_Were they boyfriends?_ Harry wondered to himself curiously. Not that it'd really matter. It was just interesting to watch Hayato act like a love-struck teen whenever Tsuna spoke to him. It was almost like watching one of his Aunt Petunia's old soaps on the telly.

Instantly freezing at the thought of his relatives, he forced the memories down, trying to bury them deep in his mind. There was no use worrying about the past. At the moment, he needed to focus on surviving for the night until he found a place to stay. He couldn't take advantage of Mrs. Sawada's hospitality.

Though, he wasn't about to live on the streets, mainly because he didn't trust those who were skulking around the area. Harry valued his life, despite his escapades —

"H-hey, let me through, you creep!" a young female voice shouted angrily.

And there was his cue. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, he rushed to the source of the shouting. He gritted his teeth as he mentally scolded himself. Why did he always rush into things? He made a sharp turn around the corner and saw a young girl around his age with long, dark hair wearing a dark-navy skirt, an indigo jacket and a white dress shirt. She looked rather irritated by her assailant, a teen who made an attempt to grab her.

_Well, this certainly looks familiar. _Harry thought to himself dryly, only to push that thought to the side once the other male pushed the girl against a wall. His eyes narrowed darkly, this was different from Mrs. Sawada. It had to be stopped immediately. "Hey! She said to let her go," he said frigidly. The male turned his attention to him. "Are you going to let her go? Or am I going to have to kick your ass?"

The teen sneered at him, still gripping the girl's wrists and pressing against her. "_Why don't you just leave, brat!_"

"I said: let her go." Harry's voice grew colder as his eyes flashed under the dim streetlights, creating an eerie emerald-green glow. "Then again, I guess trash like you are unable to grasp such simple words. Doesn't surprise me."

"Fuck you," he said with one of the few English insults he knew. The teen seemed relatively uninterested with what Harry had to say. He grinned. "_Not like you can do anything to me. I'm all muscle, baby! And you?_" Gazing up and down Harry with an air of superiority, he said, "_You barely have any muscle on you. I'd crush you__._"

Harry was bored now; he made his way over to the muscular teen rather lazily. Without warning or sound, his hand shot up and pulled the muscular teen off of the girl and sent him spiraling to the ground. Years of escaping Dudley and being drilled under Oliver for quidditch practice helped him develop quick reflexes, which were really coming in handy at the moment. He stood in front of the girl protectively. "Get lost."

"_Brat!_" The muscular teen got back to his feet. "_I'll fucking cut you!_"

Harry glanced to the girl. "You should run. It isn't safe here."

"I'm not leaving you here with him!" the girl protested in English as she shook her head firmly. "Who knows what this monkey is going to do to you!"

Harry winced. "Don't worry, miss. I know what I'm doing."_ At least, I hope so._

"_Die!_" The teenager rushed him like a mad bull, attempting to slam his fist into Harry's chest. While he looked physically intimidating, he moved rather slowly. The girl moved to the left and Harry took the right, so the teen ended up slamming into the wall. He gripped his nose, blood dripping down his face. "_I'll get you this time!_"

_Why can't morons ever learn? _The guy charged at him once more. It was a weak attack, and Harry was able to dodge once again —

A sharp pain made itself known. Harry shot his hand down to his stomach, gripping his side as his shirt stained with blood. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the smug teenager.

"_You didn't actually think I'd fight fair, did you?_" the teen questioned. He mockingly waved a knife in the air as his smile stretched ear to ear like the punk he was. The teen was rather pleased with his work, really. Now, if that brat would just stay down ...

The girl glared at him. "_You're twisted!_" She gripped Harry's shoulders, torn between eyeing him with concern and watching the punk idiot. Her hand rushed down to her bag and pulled out a phone. "_I'll call the police —_" She stopped as the teen laughed at her. _"What's so funny?_"

The teen snorted. "_Yeah, like the police are going to anything. Please. They're useless, girl__. __Now why don't you get that pretty body of yours over here and I'll let the kid live._"

"I'm not down, yet," Harry spoke up, gripping his stomach and ignoring his bloodied hand. "I'm ready for another round." He stood up, wincing in pain. Though this was nothing compared to what he went through in the past. Even then, Harry knew he wasn't the strongest person and that he didn't have a lot of combat experience; he'd barely been in any actual fistfights before. Nonetheless, he refused to let this scum do whatever he pleased!

"_You're still moving? Fine. This time I'll finish you off!_" the teen mocked, holding up his knife sadistically. He grinned down at him with a deranged glint in his eyes. "_I__'ll enjoy cutting you up!_"

Harry resisted the urge to snort, figuring out what the teen said by body language. "Get in line then."

His eyes trained on the teen as he rushed forward, wearing a disgustingly smug look. He pulled the knife back as his free hand reached above in front. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the idiot planned to grab him and thrust the knife into his side.

The teenager charged him, thrusting his knife hand forward. Unfortunately, his speed increased and caught Harry off guard as he felt the blade slide against his arm. Lines of blood beaded down it, staining the ground dark-red. Ignoring the pain, Harry's green eyes narrowed, focusing back on the enemy. As the teen smirked, he made a quick turn and lunged forward again, fully intent on inflicting more damage.

"_I've got you now!_" said the teen, his gleeful voice loud and clear. He rushed forward, straight towards Harry. "_Die, brat —_"

Before he could say another word, he came to a sudden stop and promptly fell unconscious. The girl was standing behind the crumpled teen, holding up her bag. She glared at the unconscious man before stepping over his body and heading over to Harry's side.

"You idiot!" She scowled as she took Harry's arm and inspected it. "What were you thinking? If you took him on like that, you could've been killed!"

Harry winced from the rough handling of his arm. "Well, I couldn't let him hurt you!"

"I could've taken care of him myself," the girl stated. She waved her hand in the air before returning her attention to his wounds. "I was planning on kicking him in the balls and knocking him out with my bag. I would've been able to get away unharmed." She glared at him. "I had everything under control. Still ... I appreciate your efforts. It was thoughtful of you"

Harry felt his cheeks burn a bit at the compliment. "The both of us are okay. That's all that really matters."

"You're still bleeding!" the girl snapped roughly, her eyes narrowed. She sighed. "C'mon, I'll clean you up."

Harry cringed at her strong grip as he found himself dragged away. "H-hey, ouch! Can you at least tell me your name before you drag me off somewhere?"

The girl whirled around sharply, eyeing him critically. It took a while as she finally settled upon a soft smile. "Kurokawa Hana."

"Kurokawa Hana, huh. H-hey, wait!" Harry suddenly realized something. "You were speaking in English the whole time!"

Hana giggled.

Neither of them noticed the smirking infant standing above them. "It seems I need to re-evaluate Kurokawa Hana's usefulness to the Family." Holding Leon up to the sky, the chameleon morphed into a balloon, and he floated away into the night.

He had much to plan for tomorrow. Oh yes, much planning to do.

* * *

><p>Chapter two end.<p>

Oh, Harry. Why must you rush to the defense of others? And yes, I've brought in Hana. She's one of my most favorite female characters in the KHR series. It's so sad how little screen time she actually has compared to the other girls in the series.

Anyway, I digress. On another note, I've gone back to school so expect some time between updates. I will, however, try to update whenever possible, so please keep that in mind.

Thank you all so much for the reviews. Also, keep in mind there will be no OC's in the fic. At all. Anyway, with that said, I'm still taking suggestions for pairings!

Editing done by _Tetractys01._


	3. Vongola

Chapter Three: Vongola

"H-hey o-ow!"

A pierced glare. "Oh quite complaining! It doesn't hurt that much. It's just some cream, so shut up and sit still already! I need to bandage your stomach. So take off your shirt will you?"

"W-why!" Harry nearly shouted as his voice went high pitch at the request only to end up staring into the pair of narrowed eyes turned into slits, the sense of danger emitted from them as an aura had also begun to emit from the girl in front of him. Harry had a feeling that if didn't comply with what Hana wanted he would be in a world filled with pain, as he swallowed thickly and forced a smile on his face. Nervously. "D-Do I have to take it off here? Right now? Isn't this-"

"STRIP. NOW."

Slowly, Harry felt the joints of his arms starting to move slipping underneath his shirt and gripping the bottom before pulling over his head. Wincing as he felt the fabric come into contact with the wound, the one he had received from the knife just a few minutes prior. Thankfully it had been as painful as his previous wounds that he had gotten over the years, than again trying to avoid accidents and not getting hurt was rather impossible while attending Hogwarts. Harry however, mostly blamed Voldemort and the rather obliviousness of the staff for the ones responsible for his injuries. Granted, he admitted that he was being a bit childish and bias at the accusation yet he would not have received any of them if only the staff had actually questioned Dumbledore's motives and reasonings or at least used their brains and common sense!

In his first year not only had he been forced to deal with a real life Cerberus, a herd of angry centaurs with Firenze being the exception, of course. There also the fact he had to deal with Devil Snare, a giant chessboard that nearly killed Hermione, Ron and himself but an evil and corrupted professor that was housing poltergeist of Voldemort at the very back of his head plus had attempted to murder him not once, but twice. The dark wizard ('Wizard's' really Harry added taking it to consideration since there had been two of them, they just happened to be sharing a body was wall) had tried to take the Philosopher's Stone that was being protected in Hogwarts. To this day Harry still wished to know whose bright idea it was to have an extremely valuable and powerful stone to be in a school filled with children, it was like asking every corrupted and twisted to come and steal it, even thought it wasn't advertised-as far as he knew anyway, wincing mentally as he thought of a certain man. He had to question the staff's intelligence on that.

Second year hadn't been much better. A fraud for a teacher, that was clearly out for more than just posting his books. The guy was a moron thorough and thorough, it didn't come as to a surprise that the man was a total and utter fake. Only those that were in utterly infatuation clinging them to fantasy that was Lockhart. Harry shuddered. Another thing that had bothered Harry was the diary and how it had been able to get past the school's wards, wasn't it supposed to be the most secure place on earth next to Gringotts? Than how the hell did a dark item managed to get through? There was also that thing was the Basilisk however, Harry knew that he couldn't really blame anyone for not being able to find it out. It had been under the girl's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom anyway.

Third year had been an utter disaster of proportions. Professor Lupin teaching due to his condition with Snape being there, plus the small boyhood grudge that Snape had childishly held out to like a toddler without their blanket. While Harry could understand Snape not trusting Sirius, for nearly getting him killed, the fact he continued to carry that resentment over to Lupin and his father was stupid and pointless! If anything Snape was the one he had a problem. A big one. There also Wormtail...

HOW DID THE TWINS MISS THAT! REALLY!

Harry personally want to ask them about that until he decided to wait and cool off over the summer. After it, he'd question them about it.

"H-Hey! T-that's cold!" Harry exclaimed as he felt the coldness of the cream before it started to burn again. "Ow!"

Hana rolled her eyes before giving him a flat look. "Oh stop acting like a baby, Potter. I need to put the band aid on your the scar, so stop moving for just one second already!"

"Okay, okay. I'll stop, thanks Hana-chan." Harry stated as he felt the band-aid being placed on his stomach, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would have. Unfortunately it was also at this time that fatigue and physical exhaustion had finally won him over. Feeling the heaviness of his eyes, he felt his mouth open and yawn.

"Tired?" Hana asked sarcastically.

Harry blushed smiling sheepishly. "A bit."

"It was a rhetorical question."

"I assumed it was."

"You like being a smart-ass, don't you?"

"On occasion, yes."

"Whatever." Hana waved her hand dismissively thought she wore a small smile on her face. "Anyway, you can sleep here tonight. My parents won't be home for another few days, I made a bed for you. It's just down the hall on the right side you should be able to find it fine. It's the one with the opened door."

"Thank you Hana-chan." Harry bowed at her.

The girl shrugged. "Hey I owe you, even though I could have taken that asshole on. I'm just glad to see that both of us were able to get away okay, now head to bed. I'll wake you in the morning." She waved her hand in a shooing motion watching as the boy rubbed the back of his head before bowing to her and heading towards the bed she made for him. Sighing with relief, Hana allowed herself to follow backwards straight onto her bed and felt the comfiness of her bed before letting out a huge long sigh. It had been a very, very long day. Nearly getting raped and taking home a complete stranger hadn't exactly been on her to do list but hey, she was alive and absolutely exhausted. Besides, Potter looked like the good sort anyway.

In fact he actually reminded her a bit of Sawada. Snickering with a grin on her face.

"Hey maybe I should introduce them to each other." Hana said suddenly pushing herself off of the bed looking rather thoughtfully at the prospective. After all Kyoko did call her about the beach she was going to with the others and asked her about it, originally she was going to say no but... her smile widened and snickered a bit. Even though she did plan to have some fun especially when Tsuna meets his somewhat counterpart, from her perspective anyway, she was glad that Kyoko had once again included her and the fact that Sawada had actually reached out to include her as well.

Turning over as she felt the knife of guilty. She was surprised to say the least with the way she had treated him... just like everyone else, Dame-Tsuna. Hana looked back and couldn't help but feel a bit like bully or at least having some part in the bullying, she didn't take part in it at all other than calling him that dreadful nickname 'Dame-Tsuna' yet she did not stand up to the verbal or physical bullying either. In a way she was just as bad if not worse for simply being a by-standard.

"Sawada what have you done to me?" Hana moaned with mocking agony staring up at her ceiling unhappily. She did not like being forced to look at herself nor did she like the fact she hadn't liked what she had seen. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?" Sighing as she wrapped her arms around her pillow. "I can't believe Sawada is having this affect on me. But..." Her eyes glanced towards the door. "Potter might be doing this too..."

The kid did save her life and all. Not that she had really need it! No, she totally could have handled the situation herself, really!

Everyone was changing. Slowly, but she could tell. Tsuna was slowly stopping to be the old 'Dame-Tsuna' she had seen her entire time knowing him, while he was still struggling with school and sports the more she seen the boy, Hana was able to see how happier he had become. Gokudera and Yamamoto, two of the hottest guys in the school as far as popular opinion said anyway, had started to hang around Tsuna. Both of them looked just as happy if not happier being around the smaller boy than they had been, especially Yamamoto. The taller teen use to wear such self-forced smilies, especially around the baseball team, whom didn't really hang around or even talk to Yamamoto outside of the field.

Talk about fair-weather friends! Hana thought with a scowl. Now that Yamamoto was with Tsuna, they along with Gokudera were pretty much inseparable now. If anyone insulted Tsuna in their presence or if Tsuna wasn't with them and he had been insulted, the two would instantly jump to the boy's defense and gaze disappointedly at the antagonist. Biting her lip did they think she was like that? After all they had hanged around at school sometimes... thought not as much as lately.

Hana stared at the blanket. They had been drifting away from her lately... in fact so had Kyoko as well, gulping as her fingers had began to dig deeper into the pillow. Was it because she was just like the bullies or was it simply one of those things growing up?

For the first time in her life Hana felt utterly frightened. She didn't want to lose her friends! She didn't! Her body started to shake violently at the idea of losing her friends. The brunette haired girl froze for a moment considering her thoughts.

'D-do I consider Sawada a friend than?' Hana thought briefly. 'What about Yamamoto and Gokudera, are they my friends too?' Growing up the way she did hardly anyone wanted to play with her mainly due to the attitude she had developed towards children and her vast hatred of children as a majority. It wasn't until Kyoko had befriended her that Hana had gained her very first friend, and she desperately wanted to hold onto the girl's friendship as long as possible. She wasn't about to lose Kyoko or even Sawada and his crew either!

It was odd. The only reason she was even starting to think this way was before of Harry saving her, and how the kid reminded her of Sawada. Who knew an entire night could have changed her entire world so quickly and suddenly?Calming herself down and getting a grip on her mind, Hana made a resolution. When she went to the beach with Kyoko and the others, she would attempt to be a nicer person towards them and Sawada. However, that didn't mean that she was going to drop the tough girl act anytime soon, they needed a strong and smart girl keeping them doing stupid tarzan things!

Potter was prime example of that.

Hana yawned loudly as her hands loosened her pillow. "Is it that time already?" She asked her eyes falling straight on to the clock only to blink slowly and very tiredly. Letting out another yawn, she once again fell backwards onto her bed and pulled the covers over her, as she entered the dream world. She definitely looking forward to tomorrow however, she had decided to ask Harry in the morning about swim wear, and if she needed to pull one out for the beach trip.

_'Tomorrow' _Hana thought with a smile._ 'Tomorrow I'll be a newer me! Just you wait Kyoko... Sawada!' _

* * *

><p>Harry just couldn't help but feel freaked out.<p>

**"Nice to meet you!" **

**"My name is Miaru Haru, nice to meet you!"**

These two girls that Hana had introduced to him had the largest and sparkling eyes Harry had ever seen in his entirely, as these two girls were smiling at him so innocently and cheerfully. It was odd encountering girls likes these, especially back at Hogwarts.

Were all Japanese so cheerful and friendly?

Harry slowly nodded his head as he bowed politely. **"N-Nice t-to meet you, Kyoko-san... Haru-san." **His accent and tone was still broken and rusty even than the two girls beamed happily at his attempt at communicating with them as the stood beside him.

**"Did you buy a new bathing suit Hana?" **The girl, Kyoko asked her friend curiously.

The girl rolled her eyes. **"I don't really see the point, my old one fits just fine."**

**"That's true, plus it's cute!" **Kyoko giggled.

**"Haru can't wait to see it!"** The brunette haired girl cheered with a mighty grin on her face. **"I bought a swim suit yesterday just to impress Tsuna-san!"**

Hana raised an eyebrow delicately. "Good luck with that." She didn't mean in unkindly it was simply because Tsuna seemed to dead set upon Kyoko, even when he was younger. Apart of her truly wanted the other girl to succeed and wooing Tsuna, lord knew he needed a strong willed girl. However, the other half was frightened that Haru would eventually get her heart stomped on and crushed. Hana knew it from much experience, her eyes trained on the hyper and smiling girl only to let out a tired smile as Haru simply grinned and threw her fist up determinedly. There was nothing she could do about it.

And for that Hana felt so horrible.

Harry's eyes twitched as he realized what they were talking about as his face went up in red. Why did the very first thing he had to understand was 'swim suits'? Glancing at the three girls that were walking and chatting in front of him, he continued to feel his face burn with embarrassment.

To make matter worse, they were going swimming. Harry didn't even know HOW to swim.

Wait a second...

Did Haru-san say 'Tsuna-san' like Sawada Tsuna? He paused for a moment to think about it, unfortunately his knowledge of japan and names were thin to non. For all he knew Tsuna was a rather common name in Japan, so he decided to not comment on it. After all, what was the likely hood that the Tsuna that Haru had been referring to be the same Tsuna he had been hanging out with the previous night? No. Harry decided pushing those thoughts to the side.

It couldn't be. There was just no way. His luck wasn't that good.

**"Did they say where they wanted to meet us?" **Kyoko asked Haru.

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment, before a pout appeared on her face. **"No, I can't remember where!"**

Kyoko sighed. **"Well Onii-san did want us to go with him for the day."** Her smile was a bit tired and slightly frustrated despite being used to her older brother's antics there were days when she just wanted him to sit down and explain things thoroughly before running off to go and do EXTREME things. She glanced backwards and saw the look of shyness on the darker haired boy's face, unable to resist she giggled softly. "Harry-kun?" The boy looked up once his name had been called looking puzzled. **"Come talk with us!"** She didn't want the boy to be left out of the conversation.

Haru beamed as she went over and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him closer. **"Yeah! We want to know more about you!"**

"I... **my japanese... very limited."** Harry began slowly trying not to wince at the physical touch. He hated being touched by people that he didn't know! He gazed up a bit hesitantly at the guilty gleams within the two girls eyes and instantly felt bad. **"I-I will... try t-to talk and answer."** Was that good?

Kyoko smiled, replying in english. "S-same w-with us."

"Y-yeah. E-English not so good." Haru admitted with a sheepishly smile on her face ground of her capability of speaking another language.

**"Don't you two study and do homework?"** Hana asked exasperated with a heavy sigh only for her to smile a tiny bit at her two friends. **"I'll translate-"**

**"No need!" **As a voice from above cut her off as the four stopped and looked around the area trying to find the source of the voice only for the wall in front of them starting to ruffle. Bewildered and slightly unnerved, Hana gulped thinly as she walked towards the wall, gripping on the ruffling grey and slowly began to tear if off. The paper fell straight to the ground to reveal a small baby wearing a fedora that had an orange strip around it and a mafia suit also with an orange dress shirt and a yellow pacifier hanging around it. "Ciassou!"

**"Hahi! Reborn-chan!"** Haru cried with a smile on her face.

Kyoko simply looked at the baby. **"Where you playing hide and seek?"**

**"Urhg. Another baby!" **Hana hissed out with disgust looking deep into the dark onyx eyes of the brat.

Reborn smiled, with a hint of teasing.** "I was waiting for you. We're heading to Tsuna's house and than heading off to the beach."** His eyes than fell upon Harry as his smirk widened, while had not been able to complete his full investigation of this boy, he was certain that if Harry joined the Vongola he would be able to gain more information. "And your coming?"

Harry didn't response as he stared at the boy with a blank look on his face, he felt a strange aura come from this... no, he wasn't a baby. That was obvious seeing as the baby was speaking comprehensible sentences not to mention in english and japanese but that was given for anyone with an iota of intelligent, the power that was leaking out like a facet that burned furiously like the pits of hell. It was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time and yet Harry could only feel sympathy for this man, whatever curse had been put upon him it must have been a big one. Whatever the curse or what had been placed on this man, Harry sincerely doubted there could be anything worse.

"Yeah." Harry nodded slowly still looking at this Reborn, his tone was soft and filled with understanding. "I'm coming."

Reborn smirked at the boy. "Tsuna and the others are waiting at Mama's house." Pointing down the street. "Over there."

_'Wait... that's Tsuna's house._' Harry thought to himself blinking. There was NO way that the Tsuna that the girls had been referring had been the Tsuna he had met last night, right? Shaking his head and getting a grip on his mind. "Tsuna... is it Sawada Tsuna?"

The three girls looking at him in surprise, as Kyoko had been the first to recover smiling widely.** "Do you know Tsuna-kun?"**

"Y-yes..." Harry had replied with a stutter scratching his head looking slightly embarrassed. _'Damn, small world.' _ **"I m-meet T-Tsuna yesterday." **

**"Hahi!"** Haru stated grinning widely. **"Oh! Are you one of Gokudera's friends from Italy than?"**

Italy? Harry thought blinking rapidly only to shake his head negatively. **"No, I-I from england." **

**"Is must be very foggy over there." **Kyoko said sympathetically at the boy remembering some of her history and geography class. Seeing the confused look on her face, the orange haired girl smiled and decided to try her best at speaking english. "England...very cold and f-foggie?" it sounded more like a question rather than an actual statement, she was heavily pleased nonetheless when a glimmer of understanding appeared in the boy's eyes. At least he understood her! Giggling softly.

**"England... r-rainy b-but very beautiful during summer."** Harry tried to answer feeling the words fall flat in his sentence as the girls gave him soft looks making him blush a bit. This strange and so much more different than the attention he had gotten from the Dursleys and the students of Hogwarts, it wasn't looks of sympathy, hatred, annoyance or irritating awe but looks of understanding and empathy. His stomach did a backflip at the looks and decided to do something about it. **"T-Tsuna i-is a-waiting, r-right? We go now?"**

**"That's right!" **Haru yelled instantly grabbing the other girl's hands. **"We need to get going!" **

Harry blinked watching as Haru dragged the two other girl's with amazing strength and speed as he stood there blinking and wondering he had been left behind. His eyes fell towards the small one, and noticed that his eyes were set on him as Harry crotched down.

**"Need a lift?" **Harry offered to the short man looking into the onyx eyes.

Reborn smirked at the boy, an offer? That was a new one. Deciding to indulge this boy, he jumped onto Harry's shoulders and sat. Glancing at the boy's face as they began to move towards it, he notice for the first time of the lightning bolt scar on his forehead making him frown. Where he had received that scar? He'd used his spys to look into it. The two had approached the house as they saw Tsuna standing there with Yamamoto and Gokudera, whom was glaring at Haru angrily and visa versa.

That reminded him of Hermione and Ron on SO many levels! He suddenly froze in his place as his thoughts began to drift to the both of them. It had only been a day, they probably hadn't even realized that he was stuck in Japan. They probably had their own things to keep them busy. They probably had-

"H-Harry-kun?" Tsuna's voice brought him back to reality as he snapped out of his thoughts. Smiling hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

Coming back to reality, Harry slowly regained his ability to speak. "**H-huh, oh? Ah... yeah. I-I'm okay, Tsuna." **

Tsuna smiled a bit worryingly at the other boy, as Gokudera sharply turned away from Haru thus ending their argument as he glared immediately at Harry, while Yamamoto greeted him with a happy grin. "You coming with us to the beach?" He blinked. W-was... was he actually speaking english that good... and this fast? He had been struggling yesterday!

"I guess so." Harry honestly hadn't known until the girls had started to talk about the swim suits.

Yamamoto grinned. "The more the merrier!" He gently clamped Harry on the shoulder softly carefully watching as the shorter boy seemed to go rigid again. He frowned thinly at the reaction and decided to talk with other's about it, or even his Dad. Forcing a grin on his face. **"What's the doom and gloom look? It's going to be fun!"**

Gokudera glared at him. "**Of course it's going to be fun, you baseball idiot! It's the beach where the Jyuudaime can show off his swimming prowess!" **

Hana sighed. '_Swimming prowess? What swimming prowess? Gokudera... you need glasses. Sawada can't change that quickly.' _

"Enough." Reborn's voice cut in sharply gaining the instant attention of everyone which surprised Hana at how easily the baby was able to command them. Ipin and Lambo, were being held by Kyoko and Haru as they gazed at the infant. "We're leaving now."

His words left no argument at they had gathered all of there things, and prepared to head to the beach. Bianchi, oddly had offered to drive them even though Kyoko's older brother had offered to let them come. From what the others he told him, Ryohei, was a bit... dim. To say the least.

Harry chose not to comment until he meet this Ryohei from himself.

Trusting first hand knowledge, wasn't always true. As a flash of his second year at Hogwarts entered his mind. A part of him wondered why he was dwelling upon the past, what was done had already been done. While the trust he had placed in Hogwarts had been shattered, he refused to judge them as a whole. That in it's self was cruel and childish beyond words.

_'What's wrong with me?'_ Harry thought to himself looking out the window with a sober expression. _'I'm not normally like this.' _

**"Oi, you alright Harry?" **Yamamoto asked with concern, as Harry had once again been snapped out of his thoughts. The taller boy eyed him with soft and gentle concern, wanting to understand and help him, deciding to try english Yamamoto added. "You were daydreaming!" his tone still held his teasing tone and smile.

Harry grinned, slowly. "Y-yeah. I'm fine!"

Yamamoto didn't believe it, but he allowed Harry to get away with it. "Alright! oh look we're almost there!"

**"This is going to be fun!"** Lambo declared jumping up and down in Tsuna's lab. **"Lambo is going to go swimming and build a sand castle and-" **He continued to go on a long rant, listing the things he was going to do when he got to the beach as Tsuna attempted to grab him.

**"Sit down Lambo!"**

**"Never!" **

**"DO IT YOU STUPID COW!" **

**"Ma, ma. Calm down Gokudera."**

**"SHUT UP YOU BASEBALL FREAK!"**

Harry could only stare and watch the insanity as his lips slowly began to twitch into a small, but visible smile. This was definitely going to be on HELL of a trip!

* * *

><p>Needlessly to say, Harry had been right. The trip to the beach had been one hell of a trip. Once getting there and changing into their swim gear, or rather the others changed into their swim gear while he remained in his t-shirt and shorts that Hana had leant him for the day, as they had he had ended up meeting Ryohei for the first time. And, just as the others had said, the older boy was... rather dim, to be nice. Though Harry couldn't help but like Ryohei's enthusiasm and energy, it was rare to see a person like him where he was from. Reborn, whom had been addressed as Master Pao-Pao, which honest to god Harry had absolutely no idea why though chose to remain silent for the sake of his sanity and intelligence. The way that boy spoke was so much differently that it brought a wide smile to Harry's face, even though Harry had to admit he had absolutely no idea what Ryohei was saying. He was certain though it was probably... something 'extreme'.<p>

At least Harry understood that word alone, and it seemed to be Ryohei's catch phrase... not that he wanted to know why. Somethings were better left unknown.

However, that hadn't been the biggest problem. The main problem had come from Ryohei's senior life guards, three fugly-ass teenagers that had been former members of the boxing team, had started hitting on Kyoko, Haru and Hana. One of them he had recognized from the night before.

It had been that moment where Harry had to revealed himself as he stepped in front of the girls protectively, smiling with a darkened innocent smile. "Hi, remember me?"

The bald man had stepped back in fear and horror at his appearance until it had turned into bristling anger and fury, looking ready to jump at Harry as if he was scum that needed pummeling. Harry, on the other hand, felt it was the other away around. Trash like them needed to be punished. Severely. Now Harry wasn't the time of person to judge, unless it was Snape, Malfoy or Voldemort, but these guys were simply asking for a beating. The way the talked and tried to touch the three utterly disgusted him.

If it hadn't been for Bianchi, he probably would have punched them. The older girl had held him back as she glared coldly at the three 'boys' in her mind, dismissing them instantly before proposing a challenge. A swim around the farthest island would end up taking the girls out on a date.

None of them had been pleased with that and when they had attempted to voice their thoughts on the matter, Reborn had shut their mouths via boxing gloves forcing Yamamoto, Gokudera and Tsuna to compete. Harry felt rather useless for not being able to do anything, even if he couldn't swim he wanted to do something to help them!

As they had started the race it had been at the point where Harry had began feeling something wrong with the race, once Yamamoto had mysteriously gone missing only to be followed afterwards by Gokudera. He knew at that point that the three ex-boxers had something to do with the disappearance of his two new friends, it made his blood boil with anger. However, in the end there had been absolutely no need for him to do anything all. Tsuna had been able to finish the rest of the race, save a kid in distress and send one of the burly morons straight through the sky without even trying.

The only thing that had look odd was the giant flame on the spiky haired boy's forehead. Once again, Harry chose not to say anything about it. The girls had been saved and the three ex-boxers had been chased away like little girls, just like their cohorts.

Honestly. Why had they even take them remotely seriously?

After the race, they had agreed that they had done enough swimming for the day before Bianchi had asked him to come with them to the changing room, wanting someone to guard them since Yamamoto, Gokudera and Tsuna were busy looking after Ipin and Lambo.

Bianchi had managed to quickly change into her clothes, a green tank-top that exposed her arms and her belly along with a pair of black jeans. The other three girls had gone to change, as the pink haired woman had led him straight towards a table.

"How are you enjoying Japan, Harry-kun?" The older teen asked wearing a smile on her face watching as the boy sipped his drink. Her eyes remained fixed, unable to feel nothing but pity for the boy. His thin body and paleness spoke volumes of abuse and neglect. Even though she was an hitwoman, she was a mother at heart. Bianchi couldn't stand seeing abused children, it simply wasn't right. And from the way the boy spoke and moved, she knew that he had been abandoned here in Japan. However, she would not say or do anything. It had to be his choice in the end.

Harry swallowed some of the water. "I like it, everyone here is so nice and Japan is a very beautiful place." 'They make feel like apart of the group, even though there's language barrier between us... and I don't feel the heavy expectations of people resting on my shoulders either. I feel free.' He wanted to say this, but that would lead to questions he didn't wish to answer. At least, not at the moment. As smiled truthfully. "I'm glad that I meant Tsuna and the others."

Bianchi smiled. "I'm happy that we meet you as well, Harry." As she went forward and grasped his hand, eyeing softly. "We'll always be there to help you."

Before Harry had been able to retort that question, Reborn had appeared stunning Harry as he shot backwards in surprise at the small man landing on the table. The smile that was on Reborn's face made Harry feel a bit weird, as if he was being analyzed.

"If you feel that way." Reborn began with a grin. "Than join the Family."

Family? Harry questioned in his mind, practically hearing the capital in the word 'family'.

Reborn nodded. "Yes. The Vongola Family, Tsuna could use someone like you."

"Someone... like me?" Harry repeated slowly not really understanding as he looked at the small man. "I don't understand." Admitting truthfully still gazing at Reborn.

The small man titled his head, wearing a small frown. "But don't you? I can tell. You can do something no other person can, can't you?" His eyes seem to bore straight into Harry's soul with a softness and knowledge that not even Dumbledore seemed to hold. "You can use that power to protect people, and your friends. Don't be afraid of it, Harry. You are Family."

"Dear..." Bianchi stated softly looking at Reborn before glancing at Harry, whom seemed to be in deep though and seriously considering Reborn's words.

"Let's go and find, Tsuna and the others." Reborn suggested dropping to the ground as he started to head towards the stairs, glancing back at the boy. "Some walking will do you some good. Sitting there won't change anything, unless you make the first step."

Slowly, Harry had removed himself from the seat and started to fall the small man, looking around at all the stands all built around selling items like vendors. Though, he was pretty sure that they were vendors. He felt slightly stupid for not connecting the shops and the word together.

What Reborn had said to him still remained in his mind. Was he aware of what he was... or rather who he was? And just who was Reborn anyway? Yet... being called '_Family_'... it warmed his heart. Even more than being around the Weasley Family and he had known Ron and his family for nearly two years! This was different feeling, and it felt... nice. It was really the only word that Harry had been able to come up with that could describe what he was feeling, and it confused him to no end.

Why did it feel so differently?

As Reborn, Bianchi and he began to walk down the streets his eyes landed upon Tsuna, Takeshi and Hayato standing at the Choco-banana stand though only Hayato and Takeshi were selling it as Tsuna seemed to be standing there a bit stunned at the scene, though he was still chatting with them.

**"The city council sent us a bill.**" Reborn explained nearly freaking out Tsuna. "It was addressed to you!"

Tsuna's eyes bugged out. "WHY?"

"**Remember the auditorium?**" The small man questioned with a smirk on his face that Harry could only describe as evil. "**When Yamamoto broke the wall?The old people gave us permission to set up a shop here!**"

**"R-really?"** Tsuna was a bit surprised by that.

Hayato glared at Takeshi. "**Doesn't it piss you off at what that baseball freak did?" **

**"Sorry!"** Was Takeshi's sheepish reply as he scratched the back of his head.

Tsuna sighed before smiling. **"Alright, how many do we have to sell?"**

**"500!"** Hayato declared as he pulled out a box before giving Tsuna a thumbs up. "**Let's work work, Jyuudaime!**"

Harry had been able to understand was able to say, clearing his throat. "**C-can I help?**"

"H-harry-kun!" Tsuna looked at him a bit surprised at seeing his appearance, biting his lip with concern. "Are you sure?"

**"I... it can help... understand.**" Harry answered slowly and still a bit broken, smiling. **"I want to help.**" _'And not be useless!' _

Takeshi grinned. "Welcome aboard!"

**"Don't mess it up for the rest of us!" **Hayato snarled glaring at the boy angrily still talking in japanese. He still didn't trust this boy, not yet. In his opinion, he was the same as the baseball freak. Utterly useless! The Family only needed himself and Jyuudaime!... and Reborn, obviously!

Another vendor saw them and made their approach towards them. **"Don't forget to pay the placement fee!" **

"**Placement fee?**" Harry repeated the word in confusion, looking for a translation.

Reborn grinned. "A placement fee. To use this place."

"Ah. Like a parking lot." Harry nodded understanding, smiling at the other three boys. "Who are we paying to-" Just than the winds became frozen as shadow had been seen from the corner of his eye, frowning he looked backwards and saw a taller boy with messy black hair like him, wearing a blank look on his face with dark menacing eyes.

"H-HIBAI-SAN!" Tsuna cried out with fear.

Hayato stared with horror. "D-Don't tell me-!"

"W-We pay the placement fee to you!" Takeshi finished with nervousness and worry.

The boy, Hibari glanced at them. "**50, 000 yen. If you can't pay it, I'll crush your stand**."

"What is he saying?" Harry asked the others with confusion not understanding the situation at hand and ignoring Hibari's presence, the only thing he was able to get was the fact that the three of them were frightened of this boy. However, his attention had been switched the mourning cries of a man.

Several boys wearing suits that made them look like a gang, as they held strong looking bats as they all smirked at the destruction as the vendor seemed to look up with fear and horror. Harry's blood began to boil again as he made his way to stop them, only for Takeshi to grab him.

"Let me go, Takeshi!" Harry growled.

The taller boy shook his head sadly. "**There's nothing we can do. Hibari's Discipline Committee is untouchable.**"

"B-but!"

"He'll be fine." Takeshi said with reassurance smiling. "Promise!"

Harry stared up at him for several moments before sighing with reluctantly. "I don't like this, leaving him like that." Hibari seemed to have left as the four boys remained, along with Reborn. "It doesn't feel right letting that guy's gang destroy the stand."

Tsuna gave Harry a pitying look. "**Hibari and his Committee is the strongest in Namimori. No one will move against them.**"

"**Damn**." Harry growled punching on fist into his hand, as he switched to english. "That's not right."

Takeshi nodded gravely. "I know, maybe one day we can do something about it. But not now." He beamed underneath, their english was getting better and so was Harry's japanese!

"Chocolate Banana please!" Three cheerful voices asked, diverting the subject on Hibari as Kyoko along with Haru and Hana stood wearing their beautiful looking Kimono's. Kyoko's eyes lit up as she looked at Tsuna. "**You have a store, wow!**"

Tsuna blushed. "**W-well... that is to say... I guess?**"

"**Well, than quite standing and serve us than.**" Hana demanded looking rather gruff. "**You can't slack off when your on the job, Sawada! It makes you and the other employees look bad!**"

The spiky haired boy sweat dropped. "R-Right." As he handed them three chocolate bananas as Harry had taken the money, giving it to Takeshi, whom had placed it into the container.

Unfortunately after that, it seemed as if everything had started to head down hill. With Hayato's intimidating nature, the only person who had been able to successfully sell anything. Tsuna had been too timid and the horrible language barrier between Harry and the customers left it very awkward, he tried his best nonetheless. He didn't want to be useless or be a burden to Tsuna and the others. It hadn't been until adult! Ipin had appeared and gave them her aid, with decorating the Chocolate Banana's and Feng Shui or something along those lines. However, Harry really wanted to know what his connection to her was in the future, but ultimately decided against it. What the future may hold he would decide it for himself, besides what fun was there knowing of the future ahead of time anyway?

Either way, because of Adult! Ipin they had been able to reach their quota of 500 bananas, and the 50,000 yen that they needed in order to pay for the placement.

Takeshi had gone off to go some of the baseball games while Hayato had left to go and grab some cigarettes. Leaving Tsuna and Harry by themselves, looking at each other with some awkwardness. Neither one knew what to say to the other one.

"W... well it's nice to be able to relax." Tsuna began with a stutter looking at the ground rather shyly at his broken english, though it seemed like he was getting better at it. Now that Harry was around, and visa versa. The darker haired teen reminded him a bit of himself actually.

Harry nodded, smiling at bit nervously. "Y-yeah."

They two smiled at each other, allowing the awkwardness to slowly fade away. Unfortunately, it had ended with a blur of white and blue ran across their stand, grabbing the grey tin. Reacting quickly they had dashed against him, following the thief straight up to the shrine.

**"Here you are, bro!" **The thief stated handing it to the ring leader of the three Life Guards.

Harry's eyes narrowed into slits. "You!"

**"How are you doing, Tsuna?"** The Leader's tone was mocking and filled with hate as he glared at the two of them. **"You see, robbing is our secondary job. However, because of YOU! MY beautiful face had been ruined!"**

'It wasn't even that good looking in the first place.' Harry thought to himself dryly looking as the Life Guard's minions began to surrounded by Tsuna and himself. He felt a tingle of fear and apprehension fully understanding that neither one really stood a chance against this man or his followers. Still... he wouldn't allow that hard earned money to fall into the hands of thieves. "We're surrounded."

"W-we can't win!" Tsuna stated with fear in his eyes gripping on to Harry's sleeve. "We just can't!"

Harry looked at the other boy. "I know... but it's better to go down fighting rather than giving up right? That money doesn't belong to them. I won't go down without a fight."

A thumb echoed from behind them, as Hibari stood wielding them threateningly as he gazed down at them. **"Look what I found, a crowd of herbivores that had that stolen money. I'll be taking it back now!"** Jumping from the cliff and landing gracefully near Harry and Tsuna, though did even acknowledge their presence. **"I'll bite all of you to death."**

Tsuna's eyes gazed around him. "T-there's too many, even for Hibari!" As soon as those words had left the boy's mouth, Harry could have swore he saw a bullet rush towards Tsuna and hit up direction on the forehead. Without any warning at all, Tsuna's body exploded as his clothes had been torn apart leaving the spiky haired boy in his boxers looking as pissed off and angry than he had ever seen anyone been, with the same burning flame on his forehead. "REBRON! I'LL FIGHT WITH MY DYING WILL!"

'Dying Will?' Harry thought bewildered. 'What the hell is going on here?' However, it wasn't the time to think about things as his eyes began to glance on the ground hoping to find something that he'd be able to use. 'I can't fight with my hand or my fists! I need something!'

The leader was staring to get impatient. "What are all of you doing! These three are just junior high students, GET THEM!"

"Jyuudaime!" Hayato's voice rang above as bodies started to fly all over the place, as the silver haired teen stood with bombs in his hands as Takeshi stood holding a baseball bat, grinning.

The taller teen nodded. "Help has arrived!"

The two other boys joined Hibari, Tsuna and Harry as they were surrounded by the group of thieves each of them holding deadly weapons. The five of them stood looking at the ground whom were looking at them malicious and filled with ill-intent, ready to strike at them at any give moment.

"Don't hold back!" Hayato hissed towards Harry, not even bothering to glance at the smaller boy.

Harry looked at him sharply. "I don't plan to."

"Good, cause if you do. I ain't help you up!"

Takeshi smirked. "Than that will be the one, I take care of then."

"Enough talk." Hibari hissed. "It's time to fight!"

With that, the five boys leaped into battle.

* * *

><p>It had been quick. It had been fast. The battle had gone under without any problems or casualties, as Harry laid on his back smiling up at the sky. His clothes had been torn, and his face was covered with hurt and slipped with some blood.<p>

But it had been worth it. They money had been retrieved, and the bullies has been take careful by the correct authorities. He glanced towards the side, and saw Takeshi grinning madly with Hayato wearing a cock smirk on his face with Tsuna looked rather flustered and exhausted from the fighting. Hibari had left leaving them there, not that Harry cared. Whipping the sweat that began to slide down his forehead, he allowed himself to lean backwards and gaze up at the dark night sky with the stars staring to come out.

It was a rather stunning sight.

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko's voice echoed as she along with Haru, Bianchi and Hana ran up towards them as quickly as possible waving their hands wildly with smiles on their faces. Haru was carrying Lambo while Bianchi had Ipin with her as they joined up with them, not bothering to question their injures.

Tsuna blinked. "K-Kyoko... Haru... Bianchi... Hana, why are you here?"

It was at this point where Reborn made himself known. "I called them here, didn't you know? This is the best place to watch fireworks!"

And it had been. Staring up at the sky watching the fireworks fly through the air and explode unleashing those beautiful colors that mixed and danced with the stars, Harry had never witness or scene a more beautiful thing. As he looked over at the others.

The fact he was with his friends... No, Harry decided as smile appeared on his face.

His Family.

* * *

><p>Chapter three-End.<p>

Sorry for the long wait everyone! I've been utterly swamped with homework! And so, it seems that Harry is starting to think of them as his family. Too bad he doesn't know about the mafia part. Yet. -grins evilly- Anyway, this chapter came out faster than I expected it would have. Also once again thank you all so much for your support and reviews, I'll keep on writing this! many of you have also noticed of the poll on my profile regarding Harry's pairing, the poll is planned to be closed AFTER the Mukuro Arc but BEFORE the Varia Arc so please get those votes in. As for Harry's lack of a weapon, I have yet to decide, but I promise to have it selected for the next chapter! Once again, for all the other characters I'm still taking suggestions! And I'm still looking for a beta, if interested please leave a note in your review!

Until next time, please leave constrictive criticism in your review!


	4. Different Perspective

Chapter Four: Different Perspectives

Shamal folded his fingers, staring at the screen very tentatively and dutifully. His eyes never once left as he kept a well-trained eye on the video Reborn had sent him of the last week. Analyzing the person that had caught Reborn's attention was interesting. Interesting enough that he would have no problem with testing this child.

_'Then again,'_the perverted doctor thought, leaning back in his chair as his mind raced with ideas. This child needed to be trained properly: the fluidity of his movements and the boy's quick reflexes were suited for that of a professional assassin, though Shamal was uncertain whether or not he would flourish under his tutelage. As he continued to watch the video again, he looked thoughtfully at the boy for the third time around. Approaching this particular problem would require help.

Shamal was well aware of the fact he was unable to do anything unless given verbal permission from Reborn, the Ninth, or Tsuna, which would cause problems. Despite Shamal being an assassin, he didn't want to risk killing Reborn's possible family member.

There was also another factor in the equation; he had been informed of one Miss Kurokawa Hana. The girl was beautiful in body and mind, with a spirit that emitted the vibe of a fighter simply waiting to be unleashed into the world. He could tell that her eyes and hands were thirsty to be prove themselves in combat.

He admitted that both of them held traits suited to a member of the Vongola. Harry, for example, had reflexes and reaction time perfectly suited for that of an assassin. The way he moved his wrist and latched onto weapons so effectively concealed before eliminating a possible threat towards the younger Vongola, Shamal knew that there was a chance of Reborn already thinking about taking him under his wing. Hana, on the other hand, while she had yet to exhibit physical skills, her mind was a true weapon.

Lethal and seductive, her ability to control her emotions and hide her thoughts would be an asset to the Family. That being said, her main weakness was that for an older boys or men in some regards, that had to be fixed immediately before starting her training. However...

Shamal leaned back in his chair, pressing his lips together thoughtfully. Hana was very loyal to Kyoko. Perhaps they could use that? He'd check with Reborn when he got the chance. He paused the video before shutting it down, returning the disk to its case and slipping it into his pocket.

Planning and preparing in order to train the two would be rather difficult to approach. While Harry had been integrated into the Vongola rather easily, the fact of the matter remained that Hana was only connected to Sawada via Kyoko and Ryohei. It didn't take a genius to figure out that headaches were going to start happening all over the place once everything was revealed. All things considered, Shamal was certain that the probability of Kurokawa being okay with the mafia went straight past zero and into the negatives.

Sighing with irritation, he grabbed the coffee mug from the side, pressing his back against the ledge as he tried to think.

"Why do I have a feeling that I'm missing something important?" The doctor murmured to himself as he felt a strange heaviness at the back of his mind, screaming at him. He pushed it aside as nothing more then paranoia on his part; once becoming a hitman, your body and mind had to learn to deal with constantly being targeted. His hand fiddled with the disk at the bottom of his pocket. Feeling the metallic edge of the case, he pulled his hand out and, shaking his head once, he finished his caffeinated drink. He decided to head over to Reborn's.

At least there, he would be able to discuss with the infant the proper measures that would be needed to test the two. Though there's no guarantee Reborn may not have decided to skip the whole testing part and introduced them into the Famiglia anyway, just like he did with Yamamoto. Reborn, for a hitman and tutor, was utterly and completely insane. Shamal had wondered if his intelligence had possibly been affect when he was de-aged into an infant? He shuddered. On second thought, he'd rather not know; there are some things that should remain unanswered. Quite a few things, Shamal shuddered inside as he sent a pretty girl a sexy smirk and watched with amusement as she ran off, blushing shyly. Ahh, what a good day it was to be out and about, looking at all the cute girls!

He rubbed his hands together while licking his lips, and the greatest prize was within the Sawada household: Bianchi. His precious Bianchi!

"Hehehehe!" He began to giggle while his cheeks went pink with anticipation. "Just wait for me, my darling Bianchi-chwan! You're Shamal is just right around the corner!"

His grin stretched across his face, feeling absolute joy at the prospect of being able to see his beloved Bianchi! His heart pounded hard against his chest, feeling all his energy starting to run throughout his body and beyond. And Nana being there was simply a major plus in his book!...

Even though he was fully aware of the fact that she was married. Especially to that man.

Shamal shuddered. He had absolutely no interest in getting his body filled with lead, and other things as well. Just thinking about it didn't do good for his health or his looks!

Those thoughts were then pushed to the side once he found himself nearing the Sawada household, he felt his luck for the day just starting as nothing bad had happened to him yet! It was like a dream come tru-

WHAM!

The pink-nearly purple frosting slowly began to slide down his face, the poisonous crumbs dropped into his mouth without a second's notice while he stared into the darkened and angry orbs of the italian woman wearing a dark frown on her face as she gazed down at him.

"What are you doing here?" Her words and tone held no warmth or comfort, not even an iota of love. Only despising and loathing gleams that desired nothing more than to see him in pain.

Shamal resisted the urge to grin at the chase, trying to at least remain professional. He removed his face from the poisonous cake.  
>"Good morning, Bianchi-chwan!" Shamal gushed out with a large grin, utterly failing at the attempt to look professional. "Is Reborn in?"<p>

Bianchi gave him a dark look. "He's in the living room. Tsuna and the others are upstairs studying, so don't you dare disturb them, Shamal. Or else." It was clear that she was in no way joking; after all, Gokudera was her younger brother, and she wanted him to do well in the world. By extension, that also went for Tsuna, Yamamoto, and everyone else living under the Sawada household.

Originally, she had come to Japan in order to kill Tsuna and bring both Reborn and Gokudera back home where they rightfully belonged, in her opinion. Yet the longer she stayed in Japan, the more she integrated into Tsuna's life and eventually found herself living with Sawada Nana, becoming apart of the family. Ever since then, Bianchi had taken the proud role of the older sister of the family carefully looking after the younger ones with a quiet eye, making sure that they kept up with what they needed and that they were well fed.

She would admit that despite appearing harsh towards Tsuna, she did consider him a part of her family now. He simply needed a harsher type of love to be used upon him, though Bianchi admitted she was concerned with his lack of self-confidence and the bullies that prayed upon his mentality. Reborn dismissed those notions and asked her to place her faith in him, which she did without a second thought. He earned her trust and love in a way no one else could have.

Especially Shamal. She shuddered at the thought of him touching her. By no means did Bianchi think that the perverted doctor was an unattractive of man, oh no, he was very attractive. The main problem was the fact he was so perverted that made her cringe and distrust him so much. Perhaps if he learned to control himself and kept his hands to himself, maybe... just maybe, she would reconsider going out on a date with him. No matter how bleak of a chance that was.

Leading the man straight into the living room, Reborn was sitting near the table drinking a cup of espresso with an amused look upon his features, raising the cup into the air. "Ciassou!"

"Ciao," Shamal greeted with a lazy wave before taking a seat next to his friend. "I finished watching the video you sent me." He paused a Bianchi sat on the opposite side of Reborn, with a frown. "Is Sawada-san in the house?"

Bianchi shook her head. "No, she went out." None of them wanted to drag the nice woman into their world of death and blood, she was far too innocent and kind to be exposed to that kind of danger. Lord help anyone that dared tried to!

"What are your thoughts?" Reborn questioned, placing the cup on the tray and gazing at his long time friend. "Interested?"

Shamal paused, getting into deep thought. "Judging from the video that you sent me, the boy's movements and reaction time is that of an assassin. Not like Yamamoto-kun, he's a natural-born killer. Potter is more an assassin rather than a hitman. I can train him in several areas, but, unfortunately, I don't have enough information to think of where to even begin. That being said, I have reason to believe that his childhood... may not have been been the greatest."

That was an understatement at best. The poor kid looked like he had been run over and starved for long periods of time. Plus, he seemed way too pale and used to moving as if he needed to get away or pretend he didn't exist. Frankly, he was disturbed. While abused children being brought into the mafia to learn skills was not an uncommon thing, Shamal had morals. Despite his evident hate towards the male gender, he despised abuse all forms, no matter whom it was directed to.

"What can we do?" Bianchi asked the doctor tiredly with a defeated smile on her beautiful face as she looked at the espresso in Reborn's cup. "Unless he comes to us for help, there's nothing we can do. It must be his choice. None of us have the right to force him to do something he doesn't want to."

Reborn grinned. "He's part of the Family now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shamal asked suspiciously, silently wondering just what stunt his friend pulled this time.

The Arcobaleno continued to sip his espresso. "I've already decided that he's in the Family. That day I sent you, with the video tape, was the first time Tsuna and his friends fought alongside Hibari and Potter. It seemed like it was fate for the five boys to fight together."

Bianchi stared at Reborn. "Yet you still plan to test him, my love?"

"Of course," was Reborn's reply, wearing a smug smirk on his face. "The Vongola Entrance Exam Mark II will commence!"

"Are you sure that's wise?" Shamal questioned with a disapproving frown on his face. "From what I've been told, the kid understands very little Japanese. You might end up damaging the trust that's been forged in him if you went all out. Maybe just observe the kid for now, until he understands a bit more? Or at least send someone who understands english and japanese?"

"That's why I sent Skull," was Reborn's instant answer.

Shamal stared with his jaw on the floor. "You sent SKULL to test him?"

"Yep."

Shamal's frustrated screams echoed through out the small neighbor known as Namimori as three teenagers looked at the door, wondering what the screaming was for.

* * *

><p>He was torn between amazement and confusion. Watching with predatory eyes hidden quite well in between the darkest corners of the trees, he observed the fight that was currently going within the front of the shrine, neither opponent were backing down, neither willing to allow themselves to be dominated. The sounds of metal clanging against each other, and beads of sweat flung through the air as the weapons continued to push against each other. The fiery determination emitted from their bodies as if they were candlesticks. The ground was more than likely stained with the sweat of these two men.<p>

His hands were wrapped around his own gun, carefully trying to continue concealing himself until he had gathered enough information, as what had been provided to him had bewildered not only his boss but also himself.

The small purple and black monstrosity known as Skull jumped into the air as the young boy slashed the wooden weapon in his hands downwards, fully intending disable or, at the very least, knock the small Arcobaleno unconscious. Not that he could honestly blame the kid for wanting to do that, Skull was irritating and quite a persistent pest.

Which was why he was even here in the first place, the man scowled angrily at the Arcobaleno. It was his fault he was stuck in Japan!

Among the Arcobaleno, the seven strongest infants–with the exception of one, of course–one had requested aid of another Arcobaleno, which had turned out to be Skull. Needless to say, the irritating little bastard had been so overwhelmed with pride that his ego went through the roof. He began to boast and claim how much Reborn needed his help and should be thankful for getting it. Word of the ingrate's attitude had eventually reached the far side of Italy causing mass concern and wonder at the Arcobaleno's idiocy and what exactly Reborn had planned. Needless to say, he had been surprised when his Boss had approached and requested him to head to Japan in order to see what exactly was going on, and just why Reborn felt the need to get Skull's help.

He was greatly opposed to the idea of leaving his Boss behind, however, orders were orders, and thus he was sent on a plane not an hour later.

"Is that all you got, kid!" Skull mocked the boy openly, waving his hand in the air. "It will take you a hundred years before you can take on the great Skull-sama!" The helmet-headed idiot began to laugh obnoxiously, only for the boy to take precise aim at the Arcobaleno's head, making the infant cry out in indignity. "W-what was that for!"

The boy's eyes never lost their coldness. "If you have time to talk, than you have time to fight." He spun the wooden weapon back into his palm, and as he extended it, he took an offensive stance. "Are you going to stand there, or are you going to tell me just who sent you to attack me? Because honestly, I'm really getting annoyed here." His finger softly stroked the side of the wooden weapon slowly, watching the smaller male gazing up at him with fright, yet he did not move a muscle. He was analyzing the situation before leaping into battle and trying to keep the small-brained idiot talking.

_'Smart move,' _the man praised, inclining his head. _'But does he know about Skull's power?' _Of course, he wasn't referring to Skull's abilities as an Arcobaleno, no. He was referring to Skull's ability to 'not die' as they say, remembering vaguely about the former stunt man's past. Skull was and still is considered the most slippery little bugger on the planet, even if he is a good tactician and coward to boot. He knew how to make a getaway, or at least appear defeated to the naked eye.

"H-Hey!" Skull protested waving his hands violently. "P-put that thing down!"

The boy eyed him. "Will you tell me why you're here?"

"YES!" Skull screamed at the top of his lungs like the coward and child he truly was, backing away. "I'll tell you EVERYTHING!"

The man's eyes twitched. _'You've got to be kidding me...'_

"Alright then. Start talking," was the boy's order as his emerald eyes flashed, gazing down at the Arcobaleno. The leaking of the boy's power began to seep straight into the air and spread across the shrine, and it had wandered over to where the man was. He choked on the amount of power that boy had.

Just who was this kid, anyway!

The wind blew gently as the boy's raven hair began to hover in the sky, revealing his lightning bolt like scar as he continued to look down at Skull with a look of disgust and uncertainty, only for his eyes to flash with an unreadable emotion once Skull had begun his tale. Unfortunately, much to the man's disgust, the words that had raced out of the Arcobaleno's mouth quickly slurred together. However, it seemed as if the boy had been able to get a good idea of what exactly Skull was saying and was none too pleased with his findings as the boy gripped the wooden weapon in his palm tightly. Once Skull was finished, with his head held up high into the air and about to say something, the boy cut him off abruptly, wearing a stoic look on his face.

"I see..." The words that came out of the boy's mouth made the man feel somewhat guilty, however he did not know why. The pools of green held defeat, tiredness, and hurt while continuing to hold a powerful leer at the Arcobaleno. "You can go." He threw the wooden weapon on the ground in a sorrowful manner before breezing past the Arcobaleno with a deep look within his green eyes, actively ignoring the verbal and semi-violent protests of Skull. The boy simply raised his hand up, waving it rather lazily as he disappeared from site.

The man that was hidden cursed his luck as he quietly and cautiously started to maneuver himself around the trees and branches in order to avoid being seen by Skull. The branches of the trees whisked by him and skimmed his clothes and body as he tried to keep up with the boy.

Initially, he had been order to follow and discover the reasonings behind Skull's boasting and the connection to Reborn, only to gain no information at all. The man was less than pleased with that turn of events and decided that the best bet into discovering the answer was to keep tailing after the kid all while trying to keep hidden, after all, it would do absolutely no good if he got caught. Pressing his lips together, he continued to follow after the boy.

Just where was he going, and what for? His appearance was shabby at best, however, he had picked up on the back that the boy was either a runaway or abused. The pale and thin look on the kid was a dead giveaway, though not many people were able to connect the dots.

Some people just shouldn't be parents, in the man's opinion, as he ran his hand through his blonde hair, feeling rather hot. The humidity was really starting to get to him, the feeling of the heat building up form his black jacket and pants. Maybe he should have gone for less conspicuous attire.

"Damn it," the man growled as he hid behind the wall, slowly looking over and seeing as the raven haired boy ending up meeting up with several other boys and three girls. His eyes narrowed into slits, not recognizing any of them. He hadn't been warned about this little tidbit of information, though his Boss could have not known, which was entirely understandable.

One girl, whom had her hair tied back in a ponytail-like fashion while wearing a different school uniform than the others, was glaring heatedly up at the silvery-haired boy. "What was that, Gokudera-san!" Her voice was filled with anger.

"You heard me you, stupid bitch!" The silvery haired boy exclaimed angrily, getting in the girl's face. "Get your hands off and away from the Jyuudaime! And you two, four-eyes!" He turned his attention towards the boy that the man had been observing for the past few hours.

The man raised an eyebrow. _'The Jyuudaime? That's tenth in japanese.' _But the tenth of what exactly?

"...Huh? Oh... yeah." The raven haired boy seemed to have gone into deep thought as he looked at Tsuna with a feeling of doubt and worry that could have been seen clearly if they had simply stopped to look. "Whatever you say, Hayato-san." The boy's japanese was still rather broken, but he was still getting the point across as the silvery-haired boy now known as 'Hayato' looked enraged.

"What was that you, little punk!" Grabbing the boy by the collar, looking at him with a pissed off look, Hayato pulled out several dynamite sticks from his body.  
>The man that was watching felt his eyes widened.<em> 'Hayato... not the Hurricane Bomb, Hayato!' <em>Wait a second. He frowned watching as this group of seemingly normal teenagers began to diffuse the situation. _'Didn't he get sent off to Japan to be with the Vongola or something?' _

Another boy with spiky brunette hair latched onto Hayato's arm. "Let him down, Gokudera-kun!""J-Jyuudaime!" the taller teen looked at him with a stern look. "Gokudera, Po-Harry-kun is our friend!" As Hayato lowered the boy, Tsuna went over to the shorter, wearing a hesitant smile on his face. "Are you alright, Po-Harry-kun?" Correcting himself mid-sentence again, which did not go unnoticed by the raven haired up boy.

Getting up on his feet, Harry nodded slowly while keeping the distant look on his face. "Yeah... I'm fine. Thank you...Tsuna." He added the boy's name after a pause, staring at the brunette with a mixed look in his eyes before he shook his head. "Anyway, where are we going?"

Tsuna shrugged. "To the school, I guess."

_'The school?' _The man thought.

"I wonder why Reborn-chan wants us to go there?" The brunette haired girl questioned out loud curiously.

The taller boy with the spiky black hair laughed. "Well, it's the kid, so it's definitely something fun!"

"Fun?" Tsuna repeated, looking at the taller boy as if he had grown another head before shuddering violently at the prospect of Reborn having fun.

The man's lips twitched._ 'Looks someone knows Reborn-san pretty well.' _He didn't know much about the Arcobaleno that held the Sun Pacifier, only rumors and some gossip about him being a slave driver towards those under his care, and from the looks of it, the brunette seemed to be said student. Shaking his head as he smirked with amused sympathy, the blonde man's eyes narrowed as he remembered his duty. Maybe tailing all of these kids would help get the information he desired. Even so, he was a bit... worried, for a lack of a better term. These kids held connections towards Reborn, and in the case of the boy–Tsuna, the man recalled mentally–was being trained by him. And Reborn was also connected to the Vongola.

Could it be that this boy was the Vongola Decimo? This kid didn't even look like a respectable mafia boss, let alone have the presence of one! There had to be a mistake, there just had to be!

"What am I getting myself into?" the man asked himself, leaning against the wall as he slide his hands through his hair, looking frustrated. "This entire thing has gotten out of control!" He looked down as he noticed his phone starting to vibrate. He placed it against his ear. "Hello?"

"Ah, Gamma!" The cheerful voice of his Boss rang through his ear. "How are things in Japan?"

Gamma frowned. "Could be better, Boss. I... may have discovered some disturbing information."

"About Skull?" Her words sharp.

Gamma groaned. "I wished. Apparently, the Vongola heir is a kid." Silence over the other line as giggles starting to be heard from the other end. "B-Boss! T-this isn't funny!"

"S-sorry Gamma, but you sounded so pouty when you said that!"

The male growled. "I did NOT sound pouty!" He was too manly for that kind of thing.

"Y-you're right, I-I'm sorry!" Aria continued to giggle a bit before she managed to gain some control over her voice. "Perhaps I should come to Japan, maybe we can discuss things with Reborn? We might be able to get an answer about why he enlisted Skull."

Gamma frowned. "I can do it myself, Boss...Speaking of which, did you know all about this?"

"It's just coincidence." That was a lie and they both knew it. "Anyway, please continue with your hard work, Gamma! I'm counting on you." The sing song like tone was not lost on Gamma as the other line went down, causing him to stare at his phone and sigh heavily.

This was going to be a long few weeks.

* * *

><p>Tsuna was confused and worried for his friends as he found himself at a loss towards the distance Harry seemed to be creating within the group, and despite his worries deep within himself, Tsuna felt as if Harry was utterly justified in creating it, not that he understood as to why.<p>

Watching from the corner of his eye, observing as the foreigner talked softly and rather quietly at a confused Hana left Tsuna pondering what exactly had happened to the smaller boy? The lack of desire and feeling seemed to place Tsuna in a rather worried mood, his eyes never wavering as he continued to keep an eye on Harry.

A part of him worried that Harry was possibly another hired assassin sent to kill his family and his friends for being the Vongola Decimo! Like Verde has sent his assassins using invisibility to do the job, why wouldn't someone else send someone around his age to do so instead? Maybe Gokudera did have the right assumption as to Harry being an enemy! Yet...

Another part of him highly disagreed. Yes, Harry had distanced himself from the group, and the feelings of melancholy and hurt were in the air, that much as certain. He could see the shards of pain being reflected in the pools of green making Tsuna reevaluate his thoughts on the matter. If Harry wasn't an enemy, then why was he distancing himself from them and more importantly, why did he feel as if he'd been betrayed?

So many questions and little answers were on the table. And frankly, that didn't set well with Tsuna. The brunette made a mental note to talk with Reborn later on in order to solve this little problem. He didn't want there to be conflict or doubt in the group, he decided as he glanced over to the side and saw Gokudera glaring at everyone else that was walking with them.

Much, anyway.

Letting loose a small sigh, only to be replaced by a smile. Some thing simply didn't change, and for that he was somewhat thankful.

"So what are we going to be doing today, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked him wearing a huge grin on his face. Underlying it, Tsuna could see the message,_ 'Don't worry every thing is going to be okay. Just act normally, and leave everything to me.' _The taller teen always knew how to convey what he actually meant with his eyes, reassuring Tsuna whenever something felt wrong or noticed something bad. It wasn't Gokudera that initially went ahead to do things, rather it was Yamamoto. Granted, there were days when the taller followed the half-Italian's leadership, but usually that's when the two had similar ideas and thoughts. The calm presence of the baseball star made everything come easier for Tsuna.

Giving the taller teen a nod, Tsuna allowed himself to smile. "Well, Reborn wanted us to meet him here."

"Reborn-chan?" Haru piped up curiously as she continued to hold Lambo, whom was struggling to get out of her grasps.

Hana scowled. "That kid, what for?" Tsuna almost forgot about the girl's hatred of kids. Almost.

"Whatever the reason is, it's probably to the EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted at the top of his lungs, punching both of his arms up to the sky and wearing a wide grin. The mere thought of being called by Reborn and hanging around his friends made the boxer's body tingle with excitement. It was definitely going to be to the EXTREME!

Kyoko sighed. "Onii-san..."

"Reborn," Harry's voice broke through softly, gaining the attention of the others as he looked a bit frigid. "The kid with the yellow pacifier, right?"

Tsuna blinked, taken back by the sudden hostility in his friend's voice. "Y-yeah, why do you ask?" Maybe it wasn't them Harry was after but rather Reborn? However, a nagging voice deep within him screamed at the thought. If that wasn't it, then why?

"Yeah!" Yamamoto beamed as his eyes danced with confusion and a bit of worry. "Know him?"

Gokudera sneered. "Like Reborn-san would ever give a foreigner like you the time of day!" he deliberately said this in Japanese and smirked when the green eyed boy was unable to understand what he had said, though he ignored the stares from the rest of the group. The only people that mattered were Juudaime, Reborn, Sawada-san, Ipin (Only because she was the only good kid that he knew of), and Sasagawa Kyoko (Only because of Juudaime's affections towards her and the fact she was the only girl that didn't chase after him like he was a piece of meat. Minus Haru and Hana, since he was pretty sure that they were UMA's, but that was besides the point).

"What did he say?" Harry asked Yamamoto, confused and slightly irritated with the tone that the silvery-haired boy had addressed him with.

Yamamoto pressed his lips together, trying to explain in English. He cursed himself for sleeping through class this morning! "Gokudera d-d-doesn't...Reborn...t-ake food from you today?" Using his hands as he tried to clarify the message in English, he pointed towards Harry and than the sky before making a gesture of taking something. He beamed happily when he saw the look on Harry's face, and felt rather proud of himself at getting the message rig-

"What?"

Ouch. Yamamoto pouted. So he didn't get the message, right? Well, he'll just have to study extra hard later tonight!

Hana rolled her eyes at the morons as she looked at Harry. "Baka-dera basically insulted you saying that Reborn wouldn't give you the time of day," she answered in complete and balanced English while giving the younger boy a very dry and blank look as she tried to resist an urge to smirk as she saw the displeased glint in Harry's eyes. _'Take that, Gokudera!'_ It was no secret at that fact she didn't like Gokudera, in fact she found him not only a sexist pig but also rather arrogant. He needed to be taken down a peg or three–in her opinion, anyway.

"Is that so?" Harry responded, frowning thinly at the violent teenager. Slipping his hands into pockets, he didn't even acknowledge the silvery-haired teen. "Whatever, think what you want to. And besides," he gave the boy a smirk. "I already talked with Reborn last time at the beach."

"You lie!" Gokudera snarled at him.

"Gokudera-kun! Harry-kun! Kurokawa!" Tsuna's voice broke the argument as he stood in between the three of them holding up his hands. "That's enough, no fighting, please!" The pleading shine in his eyes made Gokudera back off as Hana rolled her eyes and Harry nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, Reborn should be he-" The boy's eyes bugged out as he was suddenly sent flying towards the ground face first as his body bounced like a ball only to land rather hard on the ground. Spitting out the dirt, Tsuna glared. "Reborn!"

The small man grinned as he hovered in the air, using Leon as a little copter. "Ciaossu!"

"Was that really necessary?" Harry questioned Reborn coolly, eyeing the little man with a look of disapproval and something else that couldn't be placed.

Reborn looked at him, smirking. "Yes. If I didn't do this, he wouldn't learn anything now, would he?"

"You could still have warned him," Harry shot back, frowning.

Reborn's eyes glinted. "Questioning me, are you?"

"That's pretty obvious isn't it?" Harry growled out as he glared at the infant, liking him less and less with each passing second. He had been alright on the day those few weeks ago, now he was starting to get on his nerves with his antics and the way he treated people, especially Tsuna.

The Arcobaleno's eyes flashed as he still wore that smirk. "Did you get my gift?"

"Gift?" Yamamoto recognized the word in English, looking rather curious. "Like baseball bat?" he asked while holding up his bat as he pointed at it. He was curious as to what toy the kid had given Harry. Whatever is was, it was probably super cool! Just like Gokudera's candles, Tsuna's fire, and his sword! They were awesome toys!

"Reborn, what did you do?" Tsuna asked with fright as his eyes glanced between Harry and his tutor, his mind racing with worry. He just wanted a friend that wasn't tied in or brought into Reborn's crazy world of the mafia! The only ones that hadn't been brought in were Hana, Haru and Kyoko! "Reborn, please stop! Don't bring him into this!"

Harry blinked. _'This?'_ He understood a little bit of what Tsuna was saying, but he was still having trouble with the sentence structure. "What this?"

"What are you talking about, Tsuna?" Reborn seemed to utterly ignored Harry's question and focused his attention on Tsuna. "I've already decided he's going to be in the Family. Besides, he ended up fighting Skull today, and by the looks of it, he won." The Arcobaleno smirked rather smugly at that. "I know that Harry-kun has great potential to be part of the Family, so I sent that lackey to go and test him. Despite the fact, that idiot is a coward to boot, he is an exceptional fighter and well versed in what I want to train Potter in." The smirk turned dangerous and held an edge of coldness. "I'm looking forward to personally tutoring Harry alongside you, Dame-Tsuna. You should be honored, I never take two students."

Tsuna continued to stare at Reborn with a stunned expression as he allowed the information that had just been given to slowly be absorbed straight into his brain. Slowly, his eyes widened or rather, they bugged out as his breathing began to increase rapidly, unable to accept the fact of what had been done. Everything was starting to make sense now.

Harry wasn't mad at them–well, not entirely, anyway–but he was mad at Reborn for sending Skull to attack him, likely without any explanation at all, knowing his home tutor and all. The fact that Reborn had the audacity to send Skull to do such a thing and not inform him of it or even drop a hint of trying to recruit Harry into the twisted and sadistic baby's mafia world was both horrifying and sickening. His stomach was doing back flips the longer he looked into the onyx eyes of Reborn, trying to think of how to respond to what the infant had just told him. The anger that was threatening to build up inside of him was staring to become too strong for him to hold back, and Tsuna wasn't sure if he even wanted to hold it back anymore.

"You did what?"

* * *

><p>To say that Tsuna was angry with Reborn would have been a gigantic understatement. He was downright furious with his home tutor and had pretty much refused to acknowledge the kid's existence as Harry had gone off after Reborn's explanation, leaving the rest of them confused at a number of things, such as Tsuna's anger towards the small tutor and the coldness Harry seemed to have been exhibiting towards the group and Reborn.<p>

Even though Yamamoto was fully aware of the fact he wasn't the most intelligent person on the planet, everything seemed to boil down towards Reborn and his little plans of trying to see how strong Harry was. Similar to how he sent Gokudera and himself after the nearest Yakuza group when they had thought Tsuna had been kidnapped, only to have been revealed as a test by Dino and Reborn's collaboration. Dino hadn't know that Reborn had actually sent them after the Yakuza group until after.

The baseball player was starting to see just why his two friends were angry with the kid. While he did like Reborn and all the fun games that he was able to play with everyone else, he couldn't help but feel the need to side with Tsuna and Harry on the matter with Reborn. Gokudera seemed rather torn between supporting Reborn and Tsuna, the girls were rather confused at what was going on and only took Reborn's side out of pity and getting they're confused state taken advantage of, and Ryohei was only on Reborn's side since the kid was "EXTREME!" as the older boy put it.

Yamamoto sighed, feeling a tired smile coming on. He knew deep down that Reborn was simply doing what he believed to be right and meant well, waiting to push Tsuna to be able to do what everyone knew he could do! Well... with the exception of some people here and there, but they weren't important at all. What was important was talking with Tsuna and trying to find a middle ground, talk things through before things were said that shouldn't need to be said, and then finally resolving the issues with Harry.

He really hoped that the younger boy would join them again. He felt rather hurt by how Harry was interacting with them today, though now that he was fully aware of the situation, he couldn't blame Harry for it. It was like the trust he had was shattered. Hopefully, it hadn't gotten to the point where it was irreparable, he really liked Harry a lot. He was different from everyone else, though he was unable to understand why. Plus, Harry was really the only one that addressed him by his first name!

That brought a sober look upon the taller boy's face. He had been trying for months in order to get Tsuna to loosen up and get him to use his first name, but due to years of being called 'Dame-Tsuna' by the entire student body and viciously attacked by teachers and bullies alike, it was only natural for his smaller friend to be socially awkward. Harry, on the other hand...

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed into slits as his hands tightened around the strap over his chest. He noticed how Harry acted around physical touch and the mannerism displayed whenever he was shown affection or even praise, it wasn't like Tsuna, whom blushed and denied the entire thing. No, Harry did whatever he could in order to avoid being touched, and when he was praised, he seemed at a complete and utter loss of how to handle it. He had been meaning to talk this over with Tsuna, or even one of the girls, but it never felt like a good time. He was certain, nonetheless, that he hadn't been the only one to have noticed, though Gokudera probably ignored the fact and only saw Harry as an enemy like he did with everyone else.

Yamamoto was certain that one day Gokudera was going to do something that would eventually send Tsuna off the edge. Selfish and mean as it was, Yamamoto really hoped that he'd be there when it happened. It wasn't that he hated Gokudera or disliked the boy, he did see the half-italian as a good and very close friend, but he was far too... narrow-minded and always doing whatever he could to never end up on Tsuna's bad side. Which, as Yamamoto was able to see, he already was.

Even so, Yamamoto had to give the other boy some points for not taking people's shit and a willingness to stand up to people while he preferred to simply smile and indulge them in their fantasies and ignorance. He preferred saving the use of violence against those that actually deserved it.

The knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts as his father came in. "Oi, Takeshi! Tsuna's here!"

"Tsuna?" He blinked curiously as he stood up wondering what Tsuna needed. As he went to the front door and saw his friend standing there looking at him with a despairing and hesitant look on his face, the way Tsuna's body shivered and moved, it was easy enough for him to understand. "C'mon in, Tsuna."

The boy blushed. "Thanks Yamamoto, and sorry about this." He followed the taller boy back into his room, feeling rather embarrassed and guilty as he looked down at the floor. As they entered Yamamoto's room, he was mildly surprised at how neat and tidy it was.

Yamamoto grinned. "I know, I know! Not like me, is it?"

"W-well... um... kinda..." Tsuna admitted, returning his gaze on the floor.

The taller boy's eyes softened as he gestured towards the bedside. "Couldn't find Harry?" Tsuna shook his head negatively. As he saw the worried and fearful look on his face, Yamamoto decided to take action. "I'm sure we'll be able to find him tomorrow, Tsuna. No worries!" He grinned full-heartedly, draping an arm around Tsuna's shoulder's. "Don't look so gloomy!"

Tsuna looked at his friend and smiled tiredly. "I know, it's just... I can't explain it, Yamamoto, but I don't know what to think or do anymore. Everything just seems to be spiraling out of my control. With Gokudera being suspicious, and Reborn going behind my back and sending Skull to attack Harry, I can understand his frustrations and distrust with us! But I don't know if he is even on our side or not!" He really wanted to believe that Harry was just a normal boy, but with these constant European's showing up and trying to kill him, with the exception of Dino, he didn't know what to think or believe as deep within him two sides of him were fighting: one side screaming at him and telling him Harry was a normal boy that needed his help while the other side was with Gokudera, saying that he was an assassin of sorts and not to be trusted.

"Hmmm..." Yamamoto mused to himself, leaning back and keeping an eye on his friend. "Have you thought about just talking with Harry?"

Tsuna blinked. "Talking?"

"Yeah!" Yamamoto replied. "He's a friend, right? And you want to believe in him, right? Then go and have a talk with him, tell him everything that happened. I'm sure if you did, Harry would forgive you! He doesn't seem the type to hold a grudge over something that was utterly out of your control, Tsuna." He smiled. "I'll go with you, just the two of us. How does that sound?"

"Y-Yamamoto..." Tsuna stated looking at him with shock and gratitude.

The baseball player beamed. "What are friends for, Tsuna?" His grin faded a bit and became somewhat more mischievous. "Now, how about you and I talk about Kyoko!" Seeing the horrified look on his friend's face, Yamamoto's grin grew even wider as he continued to tease his friend, not knowing of the stripe of orange and black hanging out near the window. A smirk could be seen within the darkness before vanishing as quickly as the person had appeared.

* * *

><p>"How did it go, Gamma?"<p>

The blonde man shrugged as he stared at his Boss on the screen. "It went pretty well, though there seems to be some conflict within Reborn's group. I have yet to find out anymore information regarding Skull, or why his presence was requested, Boss. However, I can see that the kid, the one I believe is next in line for the Vongola, seems to be rather furious with Reborn. Unfortunately, I was out of earshot and was unable to hear the entire conversation. The only thing I was able to pick up is the conflict within the group."

"I see." Aria pressed her lips together and looked rather troubled, her arms folded over her chest. "Gamma, for the time being, I want you to remain in Japan until you have gathered the necessary information and figured out what's wrong. And remember, do not consider them an enemy."

"Not an enemy?" Gamma was rather surprised by that.

Aria smirked. "If we're lucky, we might be able to gain an alliance with the Vongola Family. Anyway, I'm sure that you're tired. Sleep well, Gamma. Aria out."

Watching as the screen went blank, the blonde haired man let out a low and tired sigh before stripping down to his boxers and making his way towards the bed. It had been a rather long day, and keeping up with a bunch of middle schoolers was more work that he had initially thought it would be. He mentally blamed Skull and his idiocy for pulling him into this crap.

Then again, at least something came good out of it. Seeing that green-eyed kid fight and kick that annoying brat's ass was well worth it.

As he had began to drift into a deep sleep, his mind was filled with images of brunette hair and brown eyes.

* * *

><p>End chapter.<p>

So ends chapter, first off that I would like to thank my beta: Alternative Angel for doing such an awesome job! On another note, I apologize for the lateness of this update. Real life is getting the way since I usually have two tests every single week thus I spend the majority of my time studying. Please keep in my mind that my education comes first and foremost, and I will only update when I can. I am still taking suggestions for pairing other then Harry and Tsuna, for obvious reason of course so please send them in!

Make sure to leave constructive criticism in your reviews!


	5. Reflecting

Chapter Five: Reflecting

Harry honestly didn't know how to feel since that day when that other baby, Skull, had appeared on his doorstep and attacked him straight on. Despite Skull's relentless and rapid assaults, he had managed to hold his own against the smaller and much more experienced of the two, and had even been able to catch the smaller man off guard. That being said, once he had managed to corner Skull he had managed to make him spill the information like a coward. The sense of familiarity and indifference played in Harry's mind very briefly as the image of a fat and rat-looking man appeared vividly and his eyes narrowed at the hysterical and frightened Skull, only to move past him without a single care or thought in the world, his own mind was too filled with thoughts and feelings of hurt. The fact that the other man, Reborn, had sent Skull to attack at him, had made Harry wonder what his intentions were and why he had sent Skull in the first place rather than doing it himself and for that matter why? That was the prime question. Looking back on the day where Tsuna, Takeshi, Hayato, and that boy called Hibari along with himself had fought alongside one another against the gang of thieves and bullies, Harry had been amazed at the fighting prowess that his friends had. And oddly, he was not really disturbed at them having a sword, dynamite and Tsuna's head burning with a flame...

Yet, it still did not add up in his mind since they did not recognize him once seeing his scar. When Harry had first been plunged into the Wizard World, he had not been foolish enough to go running in blindly and had taken the opportunity to see just how far his 'fame' had spread across the magical world.

Much to his disquiet, it had spread all over the world. Initially, Harry found it very doubtful and highly illogical, seeing as it was unlikely and improbable for Voldemort to have been the worst and strongest Dark Wizard to have ever roamed the entire planet. England? Sure that made a lot of sense. But the planet? It was difficult to believe. However, the more Harry had unearthed of the previous war the more knowledge he had been able to accumulate and he discovered that Voldemort had primarily targeted families that were deemed "not proper" by society, also known as Pureblood as he had discovered during his second year of school, and those that did not follow or share his ideals had also been killed. He had managed to destroy and ruin a great deal of the European continent as a whole. Many magical communities had ended up suffering at the hands of Voldemort and his followers, and his influence had managed to spread all over Europe, nearly reaching the other continents. Thankfully, Voldemort apparently had become utterly obsessed with his parents by that point and relinquished all interest in other things. Nonetheless, it had not made Voldemort any less dangerous as the history books had talked about the Americans and Canadians starting to get involved in the war if Voldemort's threat level had escalated.

It had been pure luck that Voldemort had been defeated that night on Halloween as far as Harry was concerned. It hadn't been him that defeated him, his mother had. The victorious defeat had come at the cost of his parents' life, his innocence, and his childhood.

Though, why hadTsuna's head caught on fire and why was Reborn and Skull stuck in infant bodies? The very feel of their bodies felt like magic, very strong magic, probably a very powerful and ancient one at that. Unfortunately Harry had no access to any magical libraries or book stores to look up anything. Not that he would be able to actually understand much. Even with his trusty dictionary he had on him there were still times Harry had gotten lost or confused with what was being said and thus he had been left with using the guessing game as his only way of translating.

The only other English speakers he knew of were Skull, wherever that guy hadwent though Harry assumed it was either back to Reborn or home, and there was also Bianchi. Harry didn't really know her that well and was unsure of how to approach her let alone talk to her. However, Harry did like her and was grateful that she gave him the space he needed and didn't smother him like Mrs. Weasley did. And finally, there was Reborn himself, which Harry wanted to distance himself from for the time being. Until he understood Reborn's reasons and motives for doing what he had done, the friendship between them or rather the lack thereof was nonexistent or most likely beyond repair. Trust was a very delicate subject for him especially growing up the way he did and what he along with Ron and Hermione had been forced to endure during the last three years at Hogwarts with the irresponsible not to mention incompetent adults that ran the school it was a wonder why the three of them returned there every year. Reborn had managed to gain and ruin a friendship straight from the get-go which was quite quick all things considered.

However, his actions the other day were not exactly excusable either. While Harry hadn't treated Tsuna and the others badly he still hadn't been warm to them either, not to mention he was rather distant towards them. Harry knew he shouldn't blame any of them for what Reborn had done, but...

He didn'tknow what exactly to think. Obviously, Reborn lived with Tsuna from the look of it and seemed to regard the brunette as an inferior and his total dismissal of Tsuna's own life had managed to piss Harry off. No one deserved to be treated that way. No one. The others didn't seem to see it as anything wrong and wrote it off as absolutely normal as the girls gushed over Reborn and his so-called _cuteness_which only made his stomach do flip-flops of disgust watching them fawn over the smaller man like that as Tsuna had gotten to his feet with the help of Hayato and Takeshi. His distrust and dislike for Reborn had grown a bit after that little act, making Harry wonder what Reborn was trying to get across. By that time Reborn had addressed him, giving a rather long winded explanation for his actions. It went utterly over Harry's head, as it was in Japanese, but it had enraged Tsuna.

He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know what Reborn said. Still his trust in Tsuna had remained intact. Harry however wondered whether the friendship between them was real or if it was nothing more than a fabrication.

"Since when do I sound so angsty?" Harry remarked to himself and he shook his head roughly, feeling slightly ridiculous and childish. His stomach rumbled, breaking him out of his thoughts and Harry blushed deeply at that. It had been a rather long time since he had eaten anything. His last meal was that dinner at Tsuna's house. However, Harry was used to going for long periods of time without food and water due to the Dursleys punishing him for things that Dudley had done or when Harry's magic had shown itself. His Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hadn't liked it and believed everything that Dudley told them as absolute truth and viewed Harry as nothing more than a liar and a bigger freak than before.

Harry had learned quickly to never speak out against Dudley's accusations and simply accept the punishment handed out. It was easier and less painful that way.

The severe lack of money was eventually going to get to him, and he couldn't keep hiding his situation from the others much longer. While there was a river very close to the shrine where Harry bathed and washed up before heading out to meet the others, Harry knew that they were starting to suspect something. He wore the same clothes, and looked way too pale. He mentally cursed the predicament that currently trapped him in Japan. Even so, Harry was still glad he had met Tsuna and the others despite everything that was happening.

Harry looked up at the bright sky. "I might as well go around town and see what's going on." Slipping his hands into his pockets, his fingers wrapped around his wand securely and he made his way outside. He headed down the steps of the shrine and moved across the strange black box that sat quietly near the door.

It had been there the day Skull had appeared and challenged him to the fight. Curiosity had been sitting in his mind, playing and teasing him as the box sat silently on the right side of the door not moving at all, waiting to be opened and for its content to see the world.

Harry didn't trust the package. He had no idea where it came from with no return address or card. At the back of his head however, Harry was rather certain of who had sent it. That fact alone nearly made Harry cringe and groan as he glanced at the package subtly before he reached the bottom of the steps of the shrine and headed towards the direction of the shopping district. No one really paid much attention to him as the rest of the pedestrians seemed occupied with what they were doing but he received a few glances from some older women who kept staring at him and leaning against each other whispering to one another as if Harry was the latest in gossip.

Why didn't that surprise him?

"I wonder what Tsuna and the others are doing," Harry wondered softly as he continued his way down the streets of Namimori, wearing a look of thoughtfulness. He liked hanging around the brunet boy and the rest of his ragtag circle of friends since they reminded him so much of Ron and Hermione back home. He felt his body freeze at the sudden thought as guilt began to form in his heart. He hadn't been able to get in contact with them. For that matter, Harry realized he did not have Hermione's or Ron's number, forcing Harry to scrap the idea of calling them. Hedwig was somewhere, but he didn't know where so using her was out of the question. The only way for him to even get in contact with anyone was either wait until Sirius sent an untrained owl or until he got one from Hogwarts.

And who knew how long those two would take? At the end of the day, he was still stuck in Japan. It could have been worse, Harry told himself trying to look at the bright side of things. _'At least I didn't end up getting kidnapped and sold or something.' _He shuddered at that thought.

The sounds of the bustling people echoed in his ears and he watched with some fondness at how the people interacted with one another. Harry marveled at the buildings and the lights that were hanging above, unable to look away. Even in muggle Britain and at Hogwarts never before had he seen such designs and colorful lights; it was strange yet captivating. Then again, that was its purpose: to gain the attention of the wandering bystanders that laid their sights upon the lights and designs.

It was all about psychology, that much he was able to understand. A small breath of air escaped his lips.

Seeing the candles in the windows made Harry wonder if there was some sort of holiday going on, or perhaps a tradition of sorts? He would have to ask someone about it when he was able to get the chance.

Harry came to a halt as a painful sting erupted from his heart. The flames that danced upon the candle oddly reminded him of the late night dinners that he had within the Great Hall every night, sitting in between Ron and Hermione as they had their nightly argument at the table before finding themselves in enjoying the meal instead of allowing something as inane and pitiful as a silly disagreement get in the way of their friendship.

Then it hit him, like an arrow guided to its target.

He shouldn't hold a grudge against Tsuna and the others, especially since his frustrations and anger was directed only towards Reborn and it was unfair to place them into the same category, plus it was also childish. A flicker of Snape appeared in his mind causing Harry's face to screw up.

"Maybe I'm in the wrong...," Harry whispered to himself, yet still he felt that Reborn's treatment of Tsuna and him was both despicable and horrifying. His hand tightened into a fist, feeling his anger beginning to rise at how unremorseful Reborn was when he kicked Tsuna to the ground. However, at the same time he was still new to Tsuna's group and he was an outsider in a way. He did not understand the relationship between the two of them nor did he know what Reborn's intentions were. The intentions of the small man were still shrouded and Harry was unable to come up with anything solid to justify Reborn's actions. Even so he was highly certain that either way he would still be in high disapproval of Reborn's actions. It reminded him far too much of how his Uncle used to treat him, and on a lesser note, Snape.

Now that he thought about it, Gokudera also seemed to share similar traits to Snape. The older boy always glared at him and made remarks which he, despite his dismal grasp of Japanese, guessed were most likely rude and condescending. Even though he didn't understand what the boy said, he wasn't going to sit down and tolerate the boy's insults. He already had been forced to put up with it at Private Drive with Dudley and at Hogwarts, with Malfoy.

He turned his thoughts to other things. He really needed to get in contact with Ron or Hermione, or even Sirius. He still had not been able to locate where the Japanese Magical Community was, or even discover some way of getting there via floo, much to his distress. Admittedly, a part of him didn't WANT to leave Japan. He LIKED it here... and he liked hanging around Tsuna and the others as well. He was surrounded by people that didn't care who he was or where he came from nor was there any pressure of being 'the boy-who-lived', 'the son of Lily and James' or 'the golden boy'. Here he was just... Harry. And really that made him feel even more at home. However, Harry knew that he could not stay in Japan. He had friends and Sirius back home... and he had Voldemort to deal with.

His eyes narrowed. Despite being a phantom, he didn't want to bring Tsuna or any of them into harm's way or into his world. He wanted to protect them and let them live an ordinary and normal life. And that was the way it was going to stay—

"Mister! YOU!"

Harry turned his head, wearing a deer in the headlights kind of look, and found himself staring deep into the beady eyes of a rather shady man.

"You seem to have a good eye! Come over here boy!" The man gestured at the shops.

Harry hesitated for a moment before he went over. There was no harm in just seeing what the guy wanted right? The man's smile was off though... very off.

"Yesss, I can see you have the brilliant eyes of a consumer, sir." The dark glints of the man's eyes unnerved Harry. "C'mon over here, sir. I have this item that you'll surely be dying to buy!"

Harry really didn't like the sound of that but he silently went up to the shop and watched curiously as the man turned around and began to shuffle through the merchandise on the shelves. The longer he remained and began to look at the area, the longer Harry didn't trust this shop. It was not open-windowed and was situated at the back of an alley.

What was he thinking, coming here! This was obviously some kind of trap or a shady merchant trying to con his way to the high life! Lingering in front of the desk wasn't such a good idea and the only option that came to his mind was to slowly back away silently without making a sound or being caught—

Ouff.

The feeling of hardness pressed against his face and his body suddenly shook until he was able to regain stillness, gazing up at two of the thugs he had encountered upon his first meeting in Japan. While he had not been able to learn their names, their eyes still held resentment and hatred. Though, Harry took note of the absence of their cocky and smug leader, the one that Tsuna had clobbered. Taking a step backwards, he kept a firm gaze on the two older teens and his left eye glanced backwards at the shop keeper that was simply smiling. Eerily.

"**Do you really think I would simply allow you to walk out of here? After what you did to my boys?" **the old man questioned with a dark smile. "**I'm afraid gaijin, you need to start learning your place! You're nothing than more than scum! Scum that's plaguing this great land of ours**!"

Harry blinked He pointed to himself and said in broken Japanese, "Japanese not good. What you saying?" Hopefully that would get across—

"**ARE YOU MOCKING US****?"**

Okay that didn't go over well... He needed a plan... and he needed one NOW!

Damn it. Harry gritted his teeth together as he realized, other than being cornered, that he needed to get away soon. Could he take the three of them on without magic? He didn't know. Swallowing slowly, Harry slid his hand into his pockets, gently touching the thin wood of his wand. A part of himself yelled and screamed at him to use magic in order to defend himself while the other part of him warned him about the repercussions of using magic. Not only was he under-aged but he would also be using it on muggles.

But what choice did he have? He couldn't take these three on by himself!

The creepy shop keeper continued to rant in the background, "...**That is why I did this. My boys lost their jobs and are now forced to ****do ****community service that should be reserved for ****dirty****gaijin ****like you!**"

Harry still didn't have any idea what this guy was saying! Little pieces he was able to get just not the entire thing!

"Listen," Harry began slowly trying to reply as best he could. "I...not..." Frowning as he tried to remember the word he was looking for and found himself at a dead end. "Trouble?" That didn't seem right.

The shop keeper's eyes narrowed and he spit out, "**Save ****your excuses! Boys! Mess him up!"**

The two large teens smirked smugly cracked their knuckles. The short distance between them forced Harry to take a defensive stance and he waited for the two thugs to make a move. He took their size and stature into consideration; while bigger and obviously stronger than he was the way they moved indicated that they lacked speed. Fast in the faster but slow on the land or, perhaps he was overlooking it.

The bald one from last time smirked. "**I owe you for the last time, Gaijin!"**

"**Hey, bro. Let me get a shot in first!"**the one with dreadlocks spoke up, looking at Harry as if he was a piece of meat.

The shop keeper growled, "**Enough****! Stop taking dibs and just get rid of this brat!"**

The two looked at each other and nodded, smirking still at the idea of inflicting pain upon him. Without any warning the two charged forward with their arms being used like rams hold gazes with bully-like air that oddly reminded him much like Dudley.

That was when it hit him!

Narrowing his eyes as the two bullies closed in on him, Harry ducked underneath them and used the back of his shoes to slide under before kicking off forward. He took advantage of their bewildered state and made a mad dash towards the market place, and zipped down the streets. Harry made an attempt to be polite as he pushed through the crowd. Looking backwards as he heard the stomping feet behind him, he could see the two teens following far behind him.

Harry wasn't frightened or even remotely scared of them catching him, unless they were faster than he thought. Still, even if they did get caught. It's not like the townspeople would leave him to it—

"OW!"

The feeling of the hard cement pressed against his backside was notpleasant. The sounds of a loud piercing shriek entered his ears. Covering his eyes he searched for the source of the noise only for them to land on a young girl with red hair wearing a black jacket and a white blouse. Or was it part of that skirt she was wearing? Harry wasn't sure.

"My new clothes!" the girl screamed as her eyes whipped over to Harry, her violet eyes blazing with anger. She stood up and stomped angrily over to his side and gripped his shoulders. "You made me drop my clothes!"

Harry, flustered, said, "S...sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going..."

The girl opened her mouth again before freezing and blinking rapidly. "English?"

"Y-Yeah..."

The girl stared at him for a moment, and a sly smile appeared on her lips. "As in from England?"

"...Yeah...," Harry answered before he realized that she had also yelled at him in English. "Wait, you as well?"

The girl slid her hand through her hair. "I'm from Italy actually. English, Italian, Japanese, French, German. I'm multi-lingual. You can get the best deals if you know the language!"She let loose a laugh that eerily reminded Harry of Pavarti and Lavender whenever they were talking about girly things.

"THERE HE IS!"

Damn!

Harry grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her with him. "This way!"

"H-Hey!"the girl shouted in surprise, gripping her bags as he dragged her down the streets, trying to find a place for them to hide or at least be able to get away from the two thugs. "Where are you taking me?"

Harry glanced back at her. "I'm sorry about this! I didn't want to get you dragged into this!"

The girl blinked before her features morphed into a dark look. "What do you mean by 'this'?" A lower, sinister tone appeared, sending shivers down Harry's spine. "Well?"

"I'm being chased by two thugs," Harry answered truthfully ignoring the creepy tone of the girl. "Since I beat one's ass awhile ago, apparently his dad didn't take that well enough!" His eyes darted across what was in front of them, looking for a way to get away from the two thugs. "Where...where can we get away?"

The girl detached herself from Harry's grip and ran beside him. "Over there! The left side!"

She scowled at his bewildered look. "What? Don't give me that look! I know what I'm doing!" She made a sharp turn to the right andhe followed not too far behind her and they found themselves in a cornered area.

"What?" Harry exclaimed, staring at the narrow alley. "We're stuck here!"

The girl frowned at him. "Chill out will you? I told you I know what I'm doing!"

Looking into the girl's eyes, Harry felt oddly compelled to trust in her after seeing the spark of maturity and intuition flash through the violet orbs brightly. He felt sudden guilt at dragging her into his fight, but he didn't want those two thugs to attempt doing to this girl what the bald one had tried to do with Hana during his first night in Japan. His hand clenched into a fist as he briefly remembered his powerlessness when they had him cornered that time. Now he was once again placed into that situation with a different girl he wasn't even sure he could even protect!

Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! Just what the HELL was he thinking!

Harry bit his lip and glanced towards the mouth of the alley as the sounds of the crowd bounced off the walls of the closed area and reached his ear, ringing loudly as the feeling of apprehension and anxiety started to take over. He wasn't frightened for himself, but for the girl, whose name he had yet to get. Then again, he probably deserved it. Physically wincing at his rather callous and hesitant treatment towards her, pulling her along without warning or permission—

"Are you still wallowing?" the girl questioned rudely, her hands on her hips and face pushed forward right near his and nearly pressing their lips together. Her lips curled into a sly and mischievous grin when he blushed and pulled away from her. "Awww, isn't this cute? I bet you've never been kissed, have you kid?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Not a kid."

"Sure, sure." She waved her hand dismissively, willing to indulge him. "So, you got a name or am I supposed to keep on calling you kid?"

"It's Harry, Harry Potter. And yours?"

The girl smirked. "Everyone calls me M.M."

Harry blinked. "M.M? Is that short for something?"

"Maaaaaybe,"M.M. teased with a grin on her face and waved her finger. "But it will cost you to find out!"

Harry was taken back by that. "C-cost?"

"The world revolves around money, right? So, I want to make sure that I always have cash on me," M.M. explained with a wave of her hands. "It's normal for humans to think of ways to survive in this cold, cruel world. And for me, it's getting as much money as I possibly can. Is it greedy? Yeah, and? All that matters in this world is being able to get through to the next day. You get what I'm saying, Harry?"

"...You sound like one of those guys that are pretending to be a gangster or whatever the word is," Harry answered with a deadpan.

M.M. stuck her tongue out. "How rude!"

"Sorry," Hary apologized with a small smile. A thoughtful look appeared as he thought about what M.M. had said and briefly wondered about her words before shrugging. "I don't know whether that is true or not, M.M. But... I don't think humans are as cold and self-interested as you say they are."

"Heh, that's probably because you haven't experienced it yet, kid," M.M. chastised as if she was talking to a little boy. "You're what? Eleven... or ten?"

"I'm thirteen, turning fourteen at the end of July."

"SERIOUSLY!" M.M.'s cry nearly made Harry slam into the wall as she stared slack-jawed. "You look like a pipsqueak!"

Harry winced at that. The years of abuse and malnourishment had taken a large toll upon his body and physical features, and while Madam Pomfery's nutrition potions, daily exercise from Oliver and the Quidditch Team plus heal meals during breakfast, lunch and supper over the past three years had helped immensely... the damage had already been done. It would take another few years before he would be able to look like his normal age. Magic couldn't solve everything, as painful as it sounded, and Harry had come to accept that fact.

He would simply have to rely on good old nutrients and working out in order to get his body to where it should be.

But thank god he didn't look extremely feminine! At least people could actually tell that he was a boy. The mere image of people thinking that he was a girl began to creep into his brain and made him shudder with annoyance and irritation. Gaining grip on reality once more he blinked tiredly at M.M's shocked face.

"Yes, I'm thirteen M.M..." He shrugged, nonchalant about the whole thing. It was something that he was used to, especially by now.

M.M. stared still as her eyes flashed with an unreadable gleam. "...I... see." The struggle in her voice made Harry raise an eyebrow. Glancing backwards, her eyes became sharper and narrower. "Someone's coming... No." She shook her head with a frown. "Two people are coming."

"How can you tell?" Harry questioned curiously yet seemed to realize the same thing as the sounds of shoes trampled against the ground.

M.M. looked at him, wearing a tight frown on her face. "You ready, kid?"

"I'm ready... and stop calling me kid!" Harry protested, shooting the girl a glare. She stuck her tongue out at him. 'I-is she really that childish of a person?'

"**They're over here aniki**!" The bald one's voice echoed near the alley, and Harry stared.

_'Do they have to be so loud?' _Harry thought to himself with a frown on his face. Unless... the two of them are confident that we won't get away! That would make sense all things considering.

M.M. looked at him. "You don't know how to fight properly, do you?"

"H-Huh?"

M.M. shot him a look. "Don't lie to me, kid! You obviously don't have the air of a fighter." There seemed to be more to that then she was letting on. The pair of violet orbs bored straight into his eyes, as if she was trying to tell him something. The moment of silence between them made Harry consider what she had said.

"**So this is where you went, you brat!"** the one with dreadlocks snarled, wearing a smug look on his face as he placed his hands on his hips. "**Aniki, over here!"**

"**Oh!"**the bald one remarked with a lustful smirk. "**So he has a girlfriend does he? Hey girl, how about you come over here? I'll show you ****what**** a real man is**** like****!**"

M.M. wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ewww... no thanks! I'd rather take my chances with the kid here rather than you two muscle heads!"

"**You little bitch!"**the bald one snarled.

Harry looked at M.M. "What did they say?"

"Typicalair-headed words," M.M. answered vaguely. "Nothing too important... for a kid like you anyway. Leave this to us adults, sweetie."

Harry's eyes twitched. S-Sweetie? That was a first.

The bald one charged forward without warning fully intending to inflict harm upon M.M., only for the girl to stare with an absolutely bored expression at his charge. She let loose a big yawn from her mouth and stared at her fingers with little to no fear in her eyes, as if these two were nothing more than overgrown trolls. Which in a weird twisted way, they were. Nothing more than brainless morons used to do the dirty work.

It left a rather bad taste in his mouth now that Harry thought about it.

However, now was not the time to linger within dream land. Now was the time to fight!

M.M. easily dodged a punch from the bald guy, and wearing a look of superiority on her face, she spun her leg and kicked the teen across the face and followed up with a forward thrust that sent her clenched fist straight into the boy's gut. Harry watched with a strange feeling of glee as the boy's mouth forced open and saliva spluttered out like a waterfall and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Looking at her accomplishment with a nod, she turned her head to Harry.

"I took this guy out," she stated, not giving what she had done to the teen any more acknowledgement, and acted normally. She nudged her thumb towards the other guy. "You can take out this guy, can't you kid?"

Harry gave her a tired look. "I don't even have a choice in this do I." It wasn't even a question as M.M. placed her hands on her hips and smirked widely.

"Nope!"

"Didn't think so."

Harry shook his head and a sigh escaped his lips. Against his will, he walked forward and stared up at the teen. "Looks like it's you and me, big boy; ready to dance?"

The teen stared hesitantly at him before snapping out of that state and put on an enraged look.

"Bastards! I'll kill the both of you!"

M.M. yawned. "Yeah, yeah. Yesh, is that the only thing you caught? You need new lines."

"**Shut up bitch!"**

"M.M.!" Harry shouted with a scolding tone.

She simply grinned innocently and began to whistle much to Harry's apprehension as the dreaded haired teen looked ready to murder them.

"I'll start with you, brat!" The goon sent a punch Harry's way with shocking speed. Harry was able to narrowly dodge the attack and managed to regain his balance before the goon unleashed an assault of punches. As the fists neared, he shifted his weight from his body to his shoes, using them to keep himself grounded while he dodged the fists and concentrated on finding an opening. The guy was certainly fast when it came to his punches, but… Harry's eyes narrowed when he saw the other teen not even bothering to switch his footing. Taking advantage of the teen's outstretched arms, Harry ducked once again, only this time he used his hand as a pivot and spun around with one leg extended, and it hit his enemy's legs, thus sending him spiraling straight to the ground.

He wasn't done, however. Remembering some boxing videos that his cousin had watched over the summer, Harry leaped into the air and used his arm to slam straight onto the boy's stomach. He looked on in fascination as the teen's eyes bugged out and he let loose a howl of pain before Harry ended the fight by slamming his head onto the concrete.

"Hmmmm... maybe I was wrong. Maybe you do have the body of a fighter," M.M. remarked, walking over to Harry with a cocky smirk on her face. Her arms folded over her chest to stare at the two unconscious boys. "Is that it then?"

Harry shrugged. "I remember a third guy usually being with them, but maybe he finally gained some common sense and changed his ways."

"**Don't think so, little ****man**," a rather familiar sneer answered. Harry glanced backwards and nearly let loose a snicker at the ring leader of the three from before. The teen was bruised all over and there was a giant lump on the side of his face and bandages were wrapped around the other half. The boy's face became angry. "DON'T LAUGH AT ME!"

Harry didn't even need a translation for that. "I beat your ass before, I can certainly take you on again! Though, I think I might feel bad if I took on an injured person. What about you M.M.?"

"Oh yes," M.M. replied dryly. "I'd be so heartbroken about it. How about you leave, little boy?"

"**LITTLE?"**The teen snarled.

_'Seriously, what's with all these short tempers anyway?'_ Harry wondered for a moment. Was there something in their genetic coding that made all of them so hot tempered and so disgustingly pathetic? Then again, Malfoy was a prime example. Shoving that thought to the back of his brain, Harry returned to the problem at hand. "**Why are you here anyway?**" At least he memorized that line!

"**Isn't it obvious, punk?"** The teen cracked his knuckles and flexed his muscles. "**To repay you back a favour!"**

Harry stared. He blinked. Sighing, he said, "**Of course that's why. Why didn't I figure that out in the first place?**" That seemed to be the link in the chain, no matter whom Harry encountered; they always wanted a rematch or something along those lines; i.e.: Voldemort. He still did not understand why they did it. It made no sense whatsoever! Really, was wanting to be left alone, or at least having a normal life, too much to ask for? Apparently it was.

"**Because you don't have a ****brain, that's why. Besides,****I'm ****smart!**" the teen boasted arrogantly.

Harry resisted the urge to make a comment as he slid into position. "Alright then how should we do this—"

"No need!"a voice from above shouted.

When the three of them looked up, the sound of something swooshing entered their ears before a loud thump followed it. Within the eclipse of the darkness stood a male holding a wooden sword, he turned around, revealing a young teen wearing a blue button-up shirt with a purple t-shirt underneath and jeans. "You two alright?"

Harry blinked in surprise. "Y-yes, and you are?"

"Mochida Kensuke, I work for the Disciplinary Committee... well, until I pay off my debt anyway." The last part was a mumble that Harry barely caught, as Kensuke went over and picked the ring leader up from the floor. "We've been after these guys for a while now. Thanks for your help!"

M.M. smiled suddenly. "Help, huh? Do you know what would be even more helpful?"

The two boys exchanged a long and questioning look as she grabbed them both by the collars, smiling sweetly at them.

".."

Needless to say, neither of them could object even if they wanted to.

* * *

><p>Being able to stay over at Yamamoto's was just what Tsuna needed in terms of needing to cool off and think rationally. Being able to get away from Reborn for a rather short period of time had also helped in regaining his sense of rationality while trying to make sense of the entire situation that had spun out of control due to the little infant's devilish interference, one that nearly shattered the friendship that had started to forge between them and Harry. He was righteously and justifiably angered at the callous attitude that Reborn had shown, not caring or even stopping to think of the consequences that would come with doing such deeds!<p>

He was thankful to discover that he had not been the only one to have felt this way, as Yamamoto seemed to understand and even agreed with his reaction. However, Tsuna did feel like he might have over-dramatized the entire thing and felt a bit embarrassed by the entire thing yet at the same time he felt a swell of pride at being able to stand up against the little monster known as Reborn. Even though a part of him knew that the little demon was going to find some way to punish him, to his surprise Tsuna found it very difficult to really care about being punished.

Tsuna looked at his palm, staring at it with a wondering look. "Have I... really grown?"

Things still freaked out and scared him, but at the same time he felt a bit stronger. It didn't really make sense to him logically but somewhere deep down inside of him, he understood what was happening to him and welcomed it with open arms. A blush appeared on his cheeks for a moment, feeling a bit flustered by the strange thoughts that were surfacing.

"Of course you've grown, Tsuna!" Yamamoto interrupted his thoughts and draped an arm around the smaller boy's neck. He grinned from ear to ear at the perplexed look on Tsuna's face and let loose a small chuckle. During the short time he had come to know the smaller teen, Tsuna had changed. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally as a human being. He was still a bit concerned with the lack of self-esteem that Tsuna had but knew that it would take time and much effort in order to help his friend build up the confidence that he truly had.

A snort echoed from behind them revealing Hana Kurokawa standing there with a frown and arms folded over her chest.

"I don't think he's grown at all, Yamamoto," the girl snipped dryly and shook her head rather dismissively at the remark. Ignoring the disapproving glint in the baseball player's narrowed eyes, she promptly focused her attention towards Tsuna. She moved her hands from her chest straight towards her hips and gave the boy a firm stare. She walked past the two boys before sharply turning to them, blocking their exit, and fixed them with a glare-like stare. "Well?"

Yamamoto and Tsuna exchanged a bewildered look, wondering what exactly she meant by that before looking at her.

"Well what?" Tsuna repeated, confused.

Hana sighed, gripping her forehead. "Dame-Tsuna to the end I see." Not even bothering to notice or even acknowledge the wince from Tsuna or the dark frown that appeared on Yamamoto's face that she elicited, she continued, "You're going to search for Harry, am I right?"

Tsuna blinked, taken back. "H-how did you...?"

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out, Sawada," Hana answered calmly. "After that little outburst the other day, I figured that you and Yamamoto would eventually go looking for him." She smirked at the shy smile and blush that came from Tsuna. "So I'm tagging along with you, no way I'm leaving him out there where that little demon spawn is running around."

Yamamoto pointed to himself. "How did you know I was going with Tsuna?"

_'I should have figured that Hana wouldn't like Reborn all that much...'_Tsuna thought to himself as he forced a ridged smile.

"You're not Gokudera," was Hana's cryptic answer to which Yamamoto nodded with understanding, though Tsuna was left a bit confused by that statement. "And second off, I know there something's going on with you, Sawada, along with that so-called 'baby' called Reborn!" She pointed her finger straight at Tsuna, her gaze firm and lips pressed together. "I have a right to know what it is, and if Kyoko is in any danger. Like hell I'm letting Reborn drag Harry into this mess."

"You care for Harry a lot don't you?" Yamamoto stated, wearing a huge grin on his face.

Hana looked away for a moment. "There's something about him that makes me feel protective over him. I've only known him for a day, but I feel a connection to him, you know? I want to know what the connection is, and besides someone needs to look after him anyway." Her tone was soft and sincere and she held a calm expression and a determined stance.

"I don't really understand what you're saying, Kurokawa. But I get what you're saying," Tsuna spoke up as he touched his chest, right above his heart. "Potter... Harry-kun," he corrected, at the slip. "He's a friend, and I don't want to lose him because of Reborn's plans. I want to be friends with him and fix this mess!"

Yamamoto grinned and folded his arms over the back of his head. "Than what are the three of us doing then? Let's go and bring him home then!"

Tsuna nodded firmly and took the lead. "Yamamoto's right, let's go!" He sprinted out into the streets, and following behind was the other two. He was determined to find Harry, no matter what.

A pair of onyx eyes glinted from the darkness as a strip of orange flashed under the rays of the light.

"Operation: Family Building is a go."

* * *

><p>Despite being forced to do shopping and carrying all of M.M's bags around the mall and half way through the city, at the end of the day it had been rather enjoyable since he had been able to gain two new friends; to his surprise, Harry was the youngest between the three of them which he never would have guessed since M.M. looked rather young and around his age while Kensuke looked only a bit older than he was only to discover that he was entering his first year of high school. It almost felt similar to when he hung around his teammates from Quidditch practice, except he felt a bit closer to them.<p>

Kensuke, Harry had discovered, was ending his term as the captain of the Kendo club and was still looking for a new captain to take over only to discover how difficult it was to select someone that was skilled enough to lead them to the regional's or something along those lines.

At least his Japanese was somewhat getting there. Harry wished that he didn't have to resort to using a dictionary or clarification on the words he couldn't understand since he missed being able to have a long and lengthy conversation with people. It would take a great deal of time and effort, something that was beyond his reach between trying to find a way home and hanging out with Tsuna and the others. Plus, trying to keep his current situation under the wraps was a difficult feat in itself.

While he was fully aware of the fact that Tsuna and the others could help him get back home, he just couldn't accept that kind of charity. He needed to do this on his own with his own power. Harry couldn't rely on others to solve his problems. He had become far too accustomed to doing everything by himself without asking for help or anything in return, and to blatantly pester someone for help...

It didn't sit well him. Perhaps it was because of the way he had grown up? He wasn't certain.

His thoughts kept on circling in a pattern trying to figure out what the best approach would be when it came down to it, and as far as he knew there was no way he would be able to call long distances between countries let alone continents. It didn't exactly help that he didn't have Hedwig with him to communicate with Sirius or ask anyone if they knew anything about it.

It was times like this where he truly felt utterly useless. It was something that he didn't like. He doubted anyone would blame him for feeling this way; no one liked being powerless and useless—

A tall man pushed past him causing Harry to be pushed aside and land on his ass. The man sent him an aggravated look but didn't stop to help or even apologize as he continued to walk on without a halt or pause.

Another man that donned a suit and strange long aquamarine hair quickly pulled him upwards. "I'm sorry for my boss's attitude. Please accept my apology." He bowed low for several moments while holding a look of shame and embarrassment, it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was a normal occurrence as seen from the flustered look and honest tone that came from the man's mouth.

"It's fine," Harry dismissed, waving off the apology as he glared as he rubbed his shoulder roughly. "If anything, it's he who should be apologizing."

The man stood up as he folded his arms. "If only... he is very... spoiled," he selected the word very carefully, only to realize what he was doing. "I am sorry, but I must return to my boss's side. Once again, I apologize for his actions." Without further ado, the man bowed quickly before rushing into the crowd and disappearing from sight.

"What a weird guy... hope everything works out for him though," Harry commented, uncertain of what exactly had just happened. However, instead of dwelling upon what had just happened he returned to his original thoughts.

He needed to find Tsuna and talk to him.

_'Easier said then done!'_a voice within him sneered back.

Harry resisted the urge to growl. _'I'll find them. I know I will.'_

_'Oh really and just how will you do that? Face __it__; __you__ have absolutely no idea what you're doing!'_the voice continued to mock him openly as though it was thoroughly enjoying tormenting Harry.

The young wizard ignored the rising anger that threatened to blow up. 'Just shut up. I know what I'm doing!' "...I hope," Harry whispered softly under his breath as his gaze went towards the traffic lights, waiting for it to change to green. He hated to admit it but he really had absolutely no idea what he was even doing or where to even begin looking for Tsuna and the others. The click of the traffic lights changing echoed through his ear and he stepped off the side walk and onto the streets. His thoughts were scattered all over the place, trying to figure out his next step of action before setting out to find everyone else to apologize for his actions, leaving like some spoiled child.

He wanted to find them... using any way possible to do so.

"Oh... the light changed." Harry hastened his pace towards the other side when he realized he was the only one left to cross. The sharp breeze of the wind blew against his body. The sounds of an engine roaring loudly entered his ears and when he turned his head towards the source of the sound his body instantly froze, utterly paralyzed in fear. The next second he was greeted with a sharp pain pressing against his body.

A sharp and high-pitched scream pierced the air.

* * *

><p>End chapter 5<p>

I want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter, however, my family and I are currently going through a very difficult time in our lives. My mother passed away back in November due to lung cancer, it has been a hard and long road for us now and in the future. My mother always encouraged my fanfiction writing, which is why I continue to write even now. So please understand that future updates may come out slower.


	6. Patching

Chapter Six: Patching

"Ow!"

Harry winced visibly as he felt pain surging through his body when he woke up. He could feel the strain in the lower part of his body and around his arm. Letting out a hiss of pain while attempting to move, he squeezed his hand into a fist. The pain was still there but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. After all he did have a rather large record of getting injured and harmed wherever he went, usually during a Quidditch match while other times were when he was trying to prevent something malicious from befalling the school.

His eyes darkened, followed by the gritting of his teeth as he recalled the previous year and how his stupidity had allowed Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, the true betrayer of his parents and servant of Lord Voldemort, to escape with such ease and haste.

Overall, the situation had indeed turned for the worst. It had only been because of Hermione and her secret that they were able to rescue his godfather, Sirius and the loyal Buckbeak from being executed or in Sirius's case, being kissed. A cold chill ran up his spine. It was a fate worse than death no matter how Harry looked at it; death seemed to be far more merciful compared to that. The only person Harry could think of that actually deserved that kind of fate was Voldemort. In a way that would have been the most ironic outcome, once he thought about it. Gaining the immortality that Voldemort so richly desired only to lay as an unmoving, unthinking corpse utterly unaware of the wall and the world that lay beyond it.

Harry never pictured himself as a vengeful person. No, seeking any type of vengeance was unhealthy and could do serious damage to one's psyche. Besides, he knew when the time came down to it the final fight would be between him and Voldemort. A one on one, winner takes all. He'd be damned if he let that parasite win!

"I need to get stronger," Harry murmured staring at his fist as he continued to clench it tightly. Weakness was not an option.

"Not while you're stuck in here, kid." The baritone and bemused voice caught Harry off guard. He turned towards the source of the voice and saw a young blonde haired man whose face was well defined and hardened like a fully grown man. His posture was slack, slouching on the chair and he gazed at him with a lazy yet calculating look. His body was wrapped in a pure black business suit with a white button shirt. The man oddly reminded Harry of Dudley's old spy and sci-fi movies that he enjoyed. A frown formed on the man's face. "You got lucky kid, another foot forward and you would have smacked your head against the curb."

Harry pressed his lips together. "What... happened exactly?"

"You got hit by a car."

"Oh." Harry answered, blinking slowly as he allowed the information to sink into his brain. After a few moments of silence he ended up shrugging it off. "Well, whatever."

The man raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the attitude. "You're dealing with this rather lightly."

"What am I supposed to do? Start whining and crying about how unfair and painful this entire thing is?" Harry questioned and leveled the man a look. After several moments he let loose a tired sigh and turned his attention towards the ceiling. "Sometimes, you have to take it all in stride. Complaining doesn't solve anything." He knew that all too well. From a very young age Harry knew that speaking out or even implicating something resulted in harsher beatings or longer periods of being locked within his cupboard. It was easier for him to keep his mouth shut and simply take the abuse that had been dealt to him.

Even after he came to Hogwarts he never once spoke about the Dursleys' treatment of him. He only kept it to himself; he would deal with it in his own way. However, that didn't mean he didn't appreciate what Ron and the twins had done before second year along with telling Mrs. Weasley only...

It hadn't changed anything. He still returned there without a complaint even with people trying to change his mind. But when Sirius had asked him to come to live with him once Wormtail had been trailed Harry had nearly jumped for joy. He had found someone that truly cared about him and he could get away from the Dursleys once and for all! Unfortunately, it had all ended in an utter tragedy; Sirius was forced to go back into hiding and Professor Lupin had been forced into resigning. Despite all that, he didn't mind returning if only to keep Sirius safe from harm.

"That's a rather cynical outlook," the man commented.

Harry cracked a small smile. "Maybe, but I prefer calling it having a brain."

"I suppose," the man retorted leaning back on his chair, his lips twitching.

"Anyway, who are you?" Harry asked finally. "I've never seen you before."

The man blinked before chuckling. "My name is Gamma, I was the one that shouted and called an ambulance."

"Oh," Harry stated as he remembered the voice that cried out before he had lost consciousness. "Thanks?"

Gamma grinned and his arm stretched out to ruffle the kid's hair_. 'Kid's too damn cute.'_"No problem kid!"

"Whatever you say old man!" Harry countered sending a mock glare at the man.

Gamma growled. "I'm not old! I'll have you know I've only recently turned eighteen!"

"Well you certainly look old enough," Harry stated with a nod. "I'll give you that."

Gamma raised an eyebrow. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"Take it as both if you want," Harry answered.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you kid?" Gamma replied dryly.

Harry's lips twitched. "Maybe a little bit." This was nice actually. There was no hostility between them, only good natured fun. It was rather similar with Ron yet not. He wasn't sure how to explain it only that the feel of the conversation was something he enjoyed.

"Hn, I like ya kid!" Gamma stated with a smirk on his face, it wasn't everyday he said and meant that. There was something about the kid that he liked; it was strange really since he usually hated brats with a passion. But this kid, he was different. Plus, getting close to this kid would allow him to gain the information that he was seeking. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Harry frowned as he moved his arm. "I'm in pain but that's to be expected, other than that I feel fine actually. I think me being unconscious took most of the shock from me."

"Well," Gamma began, wearing a contemplating look. "I suggest trying to take it easy and try not to do anything stupid. Straining yourself especially in the condition that you're in would be bad." He stood up and stretched his arms. "But if you want, I can go and page a doctor for you." He glanced back at the kid as he made his way towards the door, observing the kid's reaction.

Harry gave him a defeated look. "Do you have to?"

"Sorry kid!" Gamma grinned mischievously. "Those are the breaks! Not fond of doctors?"

"Well..." Harry had an instant flashback to Madam Pomfery for several moments. "I wouldn't exactly say that." It was true... he simply didn't understand just how or why Madam Pomfery got all overprotective over her patients. "Gamma—"

He had only then just realized that there was no one in the room other than himself. Upon realizing that, he leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, wearing a thin frown. The solitude he felt from being within the room was different. It was not like how it was back at home; he hadn't expected anyone to visit him or check on him. Granted, after he was released from the infirmary Hermione and Ron would question him in order to see how he was doing but beyond that no one visited. The end of second year and the day his beloved Nimbus was destroyed, he still wasn't sure if those counted or not since he had not been awake for the first one and the second one was due to Dementors plus it resulted in him being unable to play.

That thought was rather bitter. He paused and reconsidered it; he found that he didn't know how to feel about it. What he did know was that he didn't like what he was feeling; he didn't like this type of solitude.

"I hate being here," Harry murmured under his breath softly. "I wish..." He hesitated, feeling rather childish at the declaration he was about to say. "I wish someone would come to visit..." He winced; it was a childish and unfounded wish. Who would want to visit him anyway?

The door slid open. It barely caught Harry's attention since he thought it was the doctor and Gamma. Thus, he didn't bother looking. Out of nowhere a giant breeze pressed against his face, followed by a hard material that slammed against his cheek letting loose a smack. He blinked rapidly, trying to register what had just happened. He turned his head and found himself staring into the angry, frustrated violet eyes of Kurokawa Hana.

"You idiot!" the girl all but screamed at him, staring angrily. "What the hell were you thinking going off on your own and not telling us, damn it! Didn't you stop to think how we would have felt you idiot!"

Harry was stunned by her words. "W...what?"

"Kurokawa's right you know!" Yamamoto spoke up, gaining Harry's attention. The taller teen let loose his laugh Band gazed softly at the smaller boy. "You worried us you know, when you left without saying a word to us. Tsuna, Kurokawa and I ditched school early so we could talk about what happened but..." His eyes darkened. "It feels like were too late."

Tsuna took this opportunity to speak. "W-we really like you Harry! Please don't be mad at us!" The brunet looked down, trying to gather the words he wanted to say. "N-none of us knew that Reborn would go and do that to you, Harry. W-we were all just as shocked and horrified when you found out. I-I ended up avoiding home for bit because of that. I-I'm not happy with what he has done a-and—" He paused once he saw the calm look on the younger boy's face. "H-Harry?"

"It's fine, Tsuna," Harry stated tiredly; even his smile reflected that. The darker haired boy shook his head. He should have known that had been Reborn's fault and that Tsuna had nothing to do with it. He was just angry over nothing. "I'm sorry for overreacting!"

Hana frowned, crossing her arms and snorting. "You shouldn't apologize for that." Seeing Harry's look, she continued. "You _should _apologize for making us worry and going off on your own like that. I mean look at you." She gripped the bridge of her nose. "Injured again! Honestly, I feel like I have to keep an eye on you or else something might happen to you. But then again, you're a guy after all!" Rolling her eyes in dismay it was as if he had something completely stupid.

"I'm sorry?" Harry repeated confused.

Yamamoto laughed and leaned forward. "Kurokawa-san doesn't like young boys and sees them as monkeys."

"They _are _monkeys," Hana stated firmly, glaring at him. "And I can hear you just fine, Yamamoto!"

The taller teen laughed nervously and stepped away from the glare; it was easier to allow her to have her way. There would definitely be less bloodshed. His caramel eyes softened upon looking at the younger boy as he frowned thinly.

"Ummm...," Tsuna began nervously unsure of what to say. "A-are you hurt or injured anywhere?"

Harry smiled, despite himself. "Yeah, I'm fine." At least now he was anyway, as pathetic as it sounded. He was glad to have his friends visit him, it was nice. Speaking of which... "How did you guys find me exactly or know I was here?"

Yamamoto and Tsuna exchanged a long, nervous look as Hana's face screwed into a scowl. A heavy silence and a hostile atmosphere began to surround the three of them more so Hana than the other two. The girl seemed to turn red with anger.

"Errrr...," Harry began, seeing how angry that the girl was becoming. "That doesn't matter, anyway... thanks."

Tsuna blinked. "For what?"

"... For visiting," Harry answered a bit hesitantly but smiling nonetheless.

"Why wouldn't we visit you?" Tsuna asked confused.

Yamamoto grinned. "Yeah! You're our friend after all!"

"Don't act like a brainless monkey," Hana stated giving him a look.

"I... thankyou," Harry expressed again, smiling far more brightly than he had been. The feeling in his stomach felt like butterflies, but it felt good, in a way. He was also happy at the fact he was finally beginning to understand them a bit more, even if it took him a while to process what they were saying.

"So how long are you in here for?" Hana asked looking for the doctor, her ever present frown still there. Her eyes glinted with disapproval when she realized that there were none, which was unacceptable in her view. "There should be one here."

"Now, now Kurokawa-san. I'm sure that one is coming!" Yamamoto stated, trying to calm the girl down while trying to fight a similar frown. The fact that one of his friends had been injured and no one was looking after him mattered a great deal to him. However, he felt the need to keep his friend from making a scene.

Hana growled. "There had better be!"

"K-Kurokawa... Y-Yamamoto...," Tsuna murmured, unsure of what to do while on the inside he was screaming angrily to get them to go and find a doctor. He glanced back at Harry only to be surprised at the mirth that was dancing within the smaller boy's eyes. Why did he find it so amusing? He sighed heavily as he found himself also watching with bemusement at his... was Kurokawa a friend? The brunette was hesitant to call her one since she seemed to disassociate herself with them and only aiding them when she felt the need to. The thought made him wince since the idea of Reborn recruiting Hana into the Vongola entered his mind. He had no problem admitting the girl's intelligence and her athletic prowess. She was almost a female version of Gokudera and Yamamoto combined; having Gokudera's temper and intelligence yet having Yamamoto's popularity and strength.

Now that Tsuna had thought about it, it was rather eerie.

"Ciaossu!"

The four teens focused on the infant that stood nonchalantly on the table smiling widely, wearing a doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck. Everyone continued to stare unable to say anything mainly due to the oddity of it all.

"I am Doctor Rebornberg at your service!" Reborn introduced with a bow

_'You have got to be kidding me.'_ Harry thought, staring._ 'There is no way that disguise is going to work—'  
><em>  
>Hana and Yamamoto bowed. "Hello Dr. Rebornberg!"<p>

_'WHAT.'  
><em>  
>Reborn smirked and turned towards Harry, onyx eyes gleaming. "You seem to be doing well, and I see absolutely no reason to keep you here. All you need to do is simply sign this and you will be released." The green clipboard seemed off to Harry and he stared at the pen; it looked like it was looking back at him.<p>

His desire to get out of the hospital defeated his distrust of the infant. He reached and grabbing the pen but did not sign the paper. He read the document very carefully, taking in all of the details before initiating his name. "There." He leaped out of the bed and stretched his arms out, feeling the stiffness of his body. He grunted at the pain but ignored it as he gazed at his friends. "Alright, let's get out of here."

Tsuna nodded. "Y-yeah, b-but where to?"

"My place?" Yamamoto suggested.

Hana smirked. "Hmmm? Already bringing me home to meet your dad, Yamamoto? My,my I never knew that you were a sly one."

"W-what!" Yamamoto choked, staring at her with widened eyes.

The girl chuckled mischievously. "Hmmmm." She walked past the three boys without much an answer and left the three of them rather confused.

"W-what was that about?" Tsuna asked.

Yamamoto shrugged, looking confused. "Kurokawa being Kurokawa?"

"Are you three going to just stand there or are you coming?" Hana's head popped from the other side giving them a look. "I'm not going to wait here all day you know!"

Tsuna bit his lip. "W-well u-umm..."

"How about we head to the arcade?" Yamamoto suggested grinning as he punched one fist into his hand. "I've been dying to tryout their baseball simulator to test my drive and throws! I haven't been able to do that in awhile!"

Getting away from the general area they usually hung out at would do their group good, especially for Harry and Tsuna. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the two needed some social interaction outside of the main group, especially from Gokudera. While Yamamoto understood the reasons for his severe loyalty towards Tsuna, no matter how creepy and obsessive it was, what he was unable to understand was how childish the half-Italian boy was acting towards Harry. It was almost racist and frankly, Gokudera had no right to act like that towards him. It took all of his might not to chide the shorter male; however, he knew that if he did that Tsuna would end up blaming himself.

Yamamoto blamed it on Tsuna's lack of self confidence and the years of abuse. The guilt inside of him ate away for not doing anything sooner when he knew deep down that he should have. The only thing giving him solace was that he finally found the courage to stand up and discard his former fear. His eyes fell on Harry and Tsuna as the four of them left the hospital. He was certain that Harry suffered similar to Tsuna. Although he hadn't had a chance to bring it up with his shorter friend about it, he was determined to at least make the day enjoyable for the both of them. A place away from Gokudera, from the kid, from expectations; away from all of that! Just... letting them relax and loosen up, finally being able to enjoy the day without reprisal or fear. The two deserved it. As strange as it sounded, especially since he had only known the two of them for a short amount of time, and while he had seen all the amazing things that Tsuna had done and gone through he had yet to see Harry doing thing. Nonetheless, his instincts told him that Harry had done and gone through amazing things just like Tsuna had.

He didn't understand why or even question it. All in all, there was a high chance that he would never be able to understand it anyway! Might as well just go with the flow and listen to his gut feeling! After all, it helped him become friends with the two... and without Tsuna, he wouldn't have become the person he was today—No. The teen gave his head a shake as he watched Tsuna intensely; Tsuna wouldn't be the person he was today. Granted while he was still scared of everything around him and kept his cute stuttering habit, slowly he was gathering courage that Yamamoto knew his friend had within him. It was taking time, but ever so slowly it was starting to emerge with each passing moment. People just needed to stop for a moment and look for it.

It was sad that not many people were able to see the uniqueness that Tsuna had.

"You noticed it too, didn't you Yamamoto," Hana murmured to the taller teen, staring firmly at the two boys.

Yamamoto didn't even bother to glance at her. "...Yeah, I have."

"I didn't mean to call him Dame-Tsuna, this morning you know. It just slipped out, and I know that's not an excuse either," the girl remarked, looking ashamed of her actions. In fact, this was probably the first time Yamamoto had seen Hana look so vulnerable. "I'm... trying to be a better person."

Yamamoto gazed at her silently. "At least you're trying to change Kurokawa. Not many people would try or even think about it. If it wasn't for Tsuna saving me from my own stupidity that day, I wouldn't have even thought to change let alone even be here." A grin appeared on his face. "Tsuna's changing all of us for the better."

"You know...," Hana began slowly as she glanced at Yamamoto for several moments before returning her view to Tsuna. A gentle and fond smile appeared on her face. "I do believe you're right Yamamoto, but he's also changing too. He isn't the weak little boy that you and I grew up with anymore. Sure he's still timid but he's definitely gotten much stronger."

The baseball player nodded his head. "He has, hasn't he?"

His amber eyes locked on to the back of the brunette and raven haired teens, respectively. And he smiled gently.

* * *

><p>"Stage one is complete."<p>

Gamma leaned against the wall, a cell phone held up against his ear and he wore a calm expression. The blonde felt bad at seeing the accident up close and causing the young boy pain. Like the rest of his family, he did not enjoy or even like the idea of getting young children involved. It left a disgusting feeling in his stomach that he knew would remain within him for the rest of his life. Regardless of the fact he was a part of the Mafia, he still had morals and standards damn it! But they needed this information, and why Reborn had called Skull of all people for aid. While it wasn't uncommon for the Acrobaleno to get involved with one another something about this entire thing felt odd; nearly none of it made sense, at least from his perspective.

The kid, Harry, had talent. The amount of potential that he held within him was obvious to the trained eye yet it was odd that Reborn had not actively tried to test it out himself. It was just not something Reborn did or perhaps it was something else. It was difficult to predict and read the Sun Arcobaleno. He was far too much of a wild card for Gamma's liking. But if he could get closer to the kid and to the Vongola Famiglia to an extent, the Arcobaleno would be highly beneficial to his own family. Nevertheless, Gamma was not dumb enough to not realize that it was very probable that Reborn was already aware of his presence in Namimori and who he was, where he was from and what family he was a part of.

Hopefully, the Vongola would not take this as a stance of war. He would prefer to avoid that little problem as much as possible, the least bloodshed the better. Plus he highly doubted that his Boss would be happy if it did turn into war.

That was his biggest fear. Disappointment... disappointing her. It was the worst feeling in the world.

"Sir," a subordinate's voice sounded overthe line, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The group has begun to move, sir!"

Gamma breathed in before releasing it. "Where to?"

"I don't know sir, should we tail them?" the man asked curiously.

"Hmmm..." Gamma mused to himself silently. Would it be a good idea to tail them or would it be more beneficial to wait until later? Remaining conspicuous was top priority, especially with Reborn being around and besides; he was in absolutely no mood to fight anyway. "What's the status of their condition so far?"

"From what we can tell, sir is that they appear to be heading somewhere."

Gamma resisted the urge to groan. "That. Is obvious. Whatever, head back to the hotel. We'll discuss what we should do there. I will meet back with you in an hour. Gamma out!" He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.

This was going to be a long mission. He just knew it.

* * *

><p>So this was what an arcade looked like. Harry had never been to one before mainly due to Dudley's bullying and because he usually was forced to do all the chores during the summer. It was amazing to see how giant the place was, and the many gaming boxes and units that were attached to the walls. Never before had he seen such an array of technology. It was outstanding. The sounds that penetrated his ears and the lights that flickered brightly overwhelmed him and it captivated him so. It was strange and alluring at the same time. Was this the life of a normal person? He couldn't remember. It had been far too long since he had considered normalcy or being normal.<p>

"Ohh! Ohh!" Yamamoto was practically jumping up and down with the way his energy was radiating. "Let's go and try out the batting cage!"

Hana gave him a look. "We can do that any old time, you monkey. I want to do DDR first!"

_'D-DDR?'_Tsuna thought to himself. '_I didn't think Kurokawa-san was even that type of person, I didn't know she was even into video games!'_It was a shocker to find out that the resident Ice Queen, Kurokawa Hana, was a fan of video games and DRR. It simply did not click in his head; it was just far too strange to even consider.

Yamamoto looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned his attention to Tsuna and Harry. "What about you two? What do you guys want to do?"

"Huh, me?" Tsuna pointed to himself, looking bewildered and he looked around the arcade for a game that he would enjoy and was multi-player. After all it would be far more fun to play with his friends than to play separately and it wouldn't be right seeing that they had only just repaired his friendship with Harry. He frowned as he found himself at a loss. "Ummm...err..."

Harry blinked in confusion and looked at Hana. "What did Takeshi say, Hana?"

"Hmm?" Hana wasn't even surprised that Yamamoto had allowed Harry to use his given name. Then again, Harry also used her given name as well. It seemed that he didn't know the social customs of their culture. However, she was glad to be called _Hana_instead of her family name. It felt like a huge step in the right direction and she wasn't about to chide Harry about Japanese customs anyway since it wasn't the place nor time for that and she didn't see any reason why she should. A sly smirk appeared as she looked at Yamamoto then back at Harry and Tsuna. She could tell that the taller teen was a bit more than simply friendly towards these two. "He said something about trying out a game with you and Tsuna."

Harry frowned. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I prefer watching instead of playing," the girl dismissed easily, still wearing that sly smile.

"... If you're sure," Harry conceded, still frowning at leaving Hana out. "It's still not fun if you're not playing with us."

Hana's lips twitched. "That's sweet of you. You little monkey." Unlike most times the moniker held a sisterly affection. She grinned at the irritated look Harry had on his face. It was times like this that made her truly wish that she wasn't an only child.

"So?" Yamamoto asked, beaming like a puppy. His grin was infectious and he watched happily as his three friends grinned along with him. His hazel eyes scanned across the room, trying to find something for them to play. Despite his desire to check out the batting cage, hanging out with his friends would always come first and foremost. They just needed to find something worth playing, but what should it be?

"How about a shooting game?" a mature feminine voice questioned, causing the four of them to jump into the air. They stared at the pink haired woman clad in working clothes. She smiled at them as she gestured over towards the shooting range. "Please be my guest."

_'It's Bianchi,'_Harry and Tsuna instantly thought in unison and they stared with morbid fascination as Hana and Yamamoto were easily doped into Bianchi's scheme. The two exchanged a look of suffering. Neither were surprised that they had been able to see through the disguise. It was as if there was some mystical force that was pulling the two together in order to survive the horrors of the stupidity and lack of common sense that they were forced to endure.

That or people were really that stupid. Either one truthfully could be right.

"Eh, I'll give it a try," Hana volunteered, picking up the black mechanical and obviously very real gun into her hands. Her fingers wrapped around it, finding herself grinning widely at the feel of the cold metal touching against her skin. Turning towards the target range, she glanced at Bianchi. "So what do I do?"

Bianchi smiled. "Simply hit all ten targets precisely in the center, and win a prize filled with love."

_'It's definitely Bianchi.'_Tsuna groaned and faced palmed. Why? Just why?

The long haired girl smirked as she held up the gun towards the targets, biting her lips and gazing intensely at the ten moving targets. It helped that they each held a rather detailed portrait of that infant, Reborn. Seeing a good shot, she pulled the trigger allowing the bullet to soar through the air and pierce the paper targets.

"Two out of ten," Bianchi remarked with a sympathetic frown. "Better luck next time."

Hana glared. "Damn!"

"Me next! Me next!" Yamamoto was practically bouncing even though he highly preferred the sword to the gun. However, he was here to have some fun and fun he would have. So he took the gun and set it up, placing it carefully while looking at the targets as he let loose the bullets.

"Only four out of ten," Bianchi's voice stated.

Yamamoto pouted, scratching the back of his head. "Oh man, I did badly on that! Why don't you give it a shot Tsuna?"

"W-who m-me?" The spiky brunette asked nervously and his eyes instantly went to the gun. 'This can't be legal!' "I-I can't do it! I'll probably get a zero anyway!"

Hana grunted. "Sawada if I can do it than so can you! So stop acting like a girl and go shoot some targets." She gave the smaller boy a rough push towards the stand, crossed her arms and resisted the urge to sigh. Honestly, if she wasn't around Sawada wouldn't man up to do anything.

"O-Okay...," Tsuna replied, deciding not to argue with the girl since it would make things worse. Ignoring the stare he received from Bianchi, the brunet went over to the gun and gulped loudly as he gazed at the weapon with understandable fear. It was a real, live gun for crying out loud! Gathering up what courage he had inside of him, he grabbed the gun and held it with shaking hands. As he pulled the trigger, he threw his face to the side and closed his eyes as the sounds of the bullets being shot entered his ear. His body shook violently after each shot. When the last bullet had been shot, he gazed at the targets and stared in surprise.

Bianchi wasn't even surprised. She smiled knowingly. "Eight out of ten!"

"Nice, Tsuna!" Yamamoto praised with a large grin on his face.

Harry smiled. "Nice score!"

"I got beaten by Sawada?" Hana stated not unkindly, gazing at the score in shock.

"I... I did well?" Tsuna looked on as his mind finally registered his score. Slowly, very slowly, a smile appeared and his eyes danced with happiness and joy! He was finally remotely well at something... even if it was something highly dangerous and could possible kill someone. Once that thought had entered his mind, he instantly dropped the gun and let out his infamous "Hiiiii!" scream as he looked at the weapon with fear.

"Careful with that Sawada!" Hana barked at him. "That could be expensive equipment!"

_'It's not equipment!'_ Tsuna wanted to scream. _'It's real!'  
><em>  
>Bianchi simply picked it up and smiled at Harry. "And will you try?"<p>

"Why not," Harry shrugged and walked up to the stand and grabbed the gun. He looked at the ten targets carefully and watched them move and align themselves, before spreading apart again. His finger tapped against the trigger. He waited and observed the targets move back and forth. While they weren't moving fast it would be better to watch carefully instead of acting rashly. His eyes narrowed into slits as he saw his opportunity and he shot rapidly at the targets.

"O-oh wow!" Hana gaped from behind him.

"Ten out of ten!" Bianchi cheered waving a pom-pom in her hand. "We have a winner!"

"That's amazing Harry!" Yamamoto commented and draped an arm around the younger boy's shoulder. His eyes noted the stiffness that came with the physical touch.

Harry smiled nervously, ignoring the stiffness. "T-Thanks Takeshi..." The touch... it wasn't that bad. In fact it was nice to be honest. His body started to relax and his smile softened. His emerald eyes glanced up at the taller boy shyly for several moments before he returned his attention back to the score board.

"It was amazing!" Tsuna remarked with a smile.

Hana shook her head, wearing an indulgent smile. "It was good, didn't think you'd have it in you."

"T-thanks..." Harry felt his cheeks burn even more. He wasn't used to this type of praise!

"Now your prize!" Bianchi stated and held up six tickets. "Free tickets to the snack stand in the mall!"

Harry blinked. "Snack stand...?"

"In the mall?" Tsuna finished and they all looked at the tickets. _'This seems waaay __too__ suspicious!'  
><em>  
>"Let's go!" Hana stated, already starting to head towards the door. She glanced back at the three boys. "After playing that game, I'm already famished."<p>

Tsuna's eyes twitched. _'We've only played one game, Kurokawa!'  
><em>  
>"Hahaha!" Yamamoto grinned. "Well, we can always come back after grabbing food, right Tsuna? Besides, summer vacation is almost over!"<p>

Harry looked at the taller teen. "Summer... vacation?" He repeated slowly, testing the word to make certain he understood it. "July? August?"

"Our summer vacations are the same as yours," Hana explained to the younger boy with a wave of her hand. "I'm guessing you head back to school around September, right?"

Harry froze at that. "...Yeah." It wasn't like he had forgotten about that and it wasn't that he didn't want to go home. He just had absolutely no way of getting home and he was still unable to figure out a way to contact anyone from home or find the Japanese magical communities. There was also the fact that he enjoyed hanging out with Tsuna and the others. His times with them were probably some of the most enjoyable times he had ever had in his life, and he didn't want to leave. He was happier here as painful as it was for him to admit.

Yamamoto noticed the change in Harry's demeanor. "Hey, is everything alright?" His voice held concern and he gazed at the younger boy softly. His arm had been removed but now his hand gripped Harry's shoulder.

"Huh, Harry?" Tsuna and Hana also turned their attention to the younger boy.

"I'm fine!" Harry replied, placing on his smiling facade. "Really! So let's go and get something to eat, I'm starved!"

Tsuna frowned, feeling something at the back of his head nag at him. "Well... I guess we should get going then!" Tsuna knew that Harry was lying; he didn't know how he knew other than he did. Despite that he wasn't going to pry. He wanted Harry to tell him upfront and be honest with them. At the moment though, he just wanted to enjoy being able to hang out with his friends, even though he was partially worried that Reborn would find some way to ruin—

Ow. His face had slammed head first into something hard and muscular. He felt his nose crushed against his skull.

"Owwww...," he murmured, pulling himself away from the person he ran into and quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry for running into you! I really am!"

"Tsuna?"

The brunet looked up in surprise. "Dino-san!"

* * *

><p>Tsuna was grateful that Dino was getting along with the two newest additions of his friends; a part of him was frightened that he wouldn't approve. Outwardly, he respected Dino as a good friend and someone that he could trust while inwardly, he was glad that he had an older brother figure looking out for him. It was difficult to express how he felt, especially since growing up Tsuna never had any friends, but when he did gain friends and Dino, his socially awkward upbringing made it strange for him to say certain things, as stupid as it sounded. Tsuna did want to call Dino, "Dino-nii" yet it never felt appropriate to say it.<p>

He often wondered if it was because Dino was from another country or maybe because there really was no need to? Dino always seemed to know what to say and when to say it. That seemed right, actually. Tsuna watched Dino tell another joke, making the others laugh.

"I still can't believe you're Sawada's brother!" Hana stated and shook her head. She gazed at him with a similar look to when she saw Adult Lambo.

Dino simply grinned. "We're not blood related, Kurokawa-san. But there's more to being family than blood, right my cute little brother?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes!" Tsuna answered after a pause.

"Quit spacing out Sawada!" Hana chided him softly under her breath. "You're embarrassing me!"

Tsuna became flustered. "S-sorry..."

"So, Harry." Dino watched the raven haired boy intently. "You're from England, right? I can tell from your accent."

Harry nodded. "Y-yes, Dino-san."

"I've heard it's nice there, though rather rainy." The blonde wore a grin on his face. "Do you like it here in Japan?"

"I-it definitely has its days. I like it." Harry shrugged, feeling awkward under Dino's scrutiny. "I like Japan, it's nice and everyone is rather friendly." Except those bullies from a while back, but they didn't count. "Tsuna and the others have been especially nice to me."

Dino nodded. "That's good! I was afraid that my new cute brother was having trouble adjusting?" Seeing the confused looks on their faces, he continued, "Well, Reborn contacted me and told me he was taking another student under his wing, so when I heard that I had to come out here and meet you!" Suddenly the atmosphere became tense. He noted the younger ones' expressions and frowned. "H-hey what's with those looks?"

Yamamoto decided to answer, saving his two friends the trouble of doing so."We're not exactly happy with the kid right now." He glanced sideways at the two before turning his attention to Dino. "He did something and well... we managed to repair the damage in time."

Hana glared. "That's sugar coating it."

"It's fine, Hana," Harry told calmly, dismissing the issue. "What's done is done."

"I still don't like it," the girl snapped.

Dino was lost. "I'm sorry but what exactly happened?"

"Well...," Tsuna began slowly. He shifted in discomfort at the stares from Hana and Dino. His eyes glanced nervously between the two as he tried to formulate the words in his mouth. He slowly explained to Dino what had happened between Reborn and their group. "... And that's what happened."

"I see," Dino murmured and folded his hands on the table. He closed his eyes as he drifted into silence. "Well, I can't really say I'm surprised at Reborn doing that. He aims for unpredictability; he was probably using Skull in order to test and analyze Harry's abilities, that doesn't mean that it was the smart thing to do."

Tsuna frowned. "He shouldn't have done it in the first place, Dino-san." The click of his tone nearly made Dino grin; the inner-boss of his little brother was starting to show itself.

"You're right. It wasn't right of Reborn to pull Harry into this, "the older Boss agreed and glanced at the newest members of Tsuna's family. Subtly he raised an eyebrow at Tsuna only to receive a negative shake from the younger boy. So neither one knew of the mafia; then why did Reborn want to bring them into the family? Originally, he had been asked by Reborn to test Gokudera due to his obsessive loyalty which only proved to be dangerous for Tsuna. However, upon learning from the Arcobaleno that he had taken another student, Dino had been curious about his newest younger brother and had been shocked to find out that he was actually a part of Tsuna's family like Fuuta.

So far, Dino had been able to tell instantly that Harry had been abused and starved. It wasn't just his appearance that screamed it, but the way his body moved carefully and how he ate the food appreciatively, savoring every taste that entered his mouth. The boy's speech and gaze was far too mature than Dino would have preferred, and unfortunately it was rather common for abused children to be that way. It took all of his willpower not to smash the table. The only thing keeping him from doing that was the happy look on Harry's face as he interacted with Tsuna and the others. Looking at it made his heart soften.

It seemed all of his cute brothers, Tsuna, Fuuta and Harry had suffered. And it pained him to see that; none of them should have gone through all that pain. However, life within the Mafia wasn't all rainbows and sugar so it was a good thing for them to learn the hardships of the world early in order to adjust to that reality. But damn it... the brotherly instinct that had developed in him was pissed at that fact. It struggled to fight tooth and nail to convince them not to take the dark path of the mafia. Nonetheless, Dino knew that it had to be their choice and whichever one they chose, he would make sure to support them as much as he was able to.

Tsuna hesitated for a moment. "Dino-san?"

"Hm? Ah, sorry!" Dino apologized sincerely. "I was thinking!"

Harry sighed, tired of the tension. "Listen I'm over it really. I don't blame Tsuna or anyone, and I'm sure Reborn did this for some reason. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones just as long as he doesn't do this again." He already had to deal with this back at Hogwarts; he certainly didn't want to deal with it here.

"I-I'm sure that Reborn didn't mean anything by it!" Dino reassured or at least attempted to by the cracking sounds of his voice. That was a lie and everyone at the table could see it. The blonde continued to wear a shaky smile, mentally ignoring his own disbelief. "Anyway, what are you going to do about it though? You can't exactly tell off Reborn."

"No, I can't," Harry responded calmly and gave the older man a chilling look. "But I can put my foot down, infant or not." His emerald eyes flashed with coldness and his magic began to press against Dino and the others in order to prove his point.

Dino nodded slowly. "I see, well I really hope that Reborn will listen."

"I sincerely doubt that." Hana sneered. "That stupid baby just doesn't know when to quit!"

Yamamoto laughed. "Well that kid certainly does know how to make things interesting! Besides, it's all in good fun Kurokawa. He just went a bit too far this time and I'm sure he won't do something like that again!" The sheer trust in Yamamoto's tone nearly made Tsuna flinch. However, he wasn't surprised at Yamamoto's faith and trust in Reborn since he had never had to deal upfront with the infant's true devious and borderline malicious nature behind the semi-innocent facade.

It made him glad to know that Hana and Harry were able to see beyond that. If only Hana could see through those horrible cosplays of Reborn's!

Still. Tsuna looked at his three friends and Dino and he found himself smiling. It was nice to be with them and he liked how quiet it was. It was painful to admit and he felt mean for it, but he was glad that Gokudera wasn`t here. While he was happy to have the half-Italian boy as a close friend and someone he knew he could trust, the way Gokudera showed his loyalty and his reactions towards the littlest things frightened him. Not for himself, but rather for Gokudera. He was too reckless and wild, not stopping to think of the consequences of his actions or words such as his treatment towards his own sister and Haru and due to his behaviour the two were confused and hurt even though Tsuna knew full well that the silver-haired boy did care for them deeply.

While he would openly admit to Reborn how scary and troublesome it was to have Gokudera around, never once had he actually meant it. He just wanted to talk to someone about him and how to help him, but unfortunately the years of abuse by his peers and his social awkwardness made it difficult for Tsuna to convey what he truly meant and felt. Even then Tsuna was well aware that those excuses could not be entirely faulted since he had a tendency to not think when opening his mouth, that much he would admit.

_'I feel like an __asshole,'_ Tsuna thought to himself reminiscing about all the things he had said about Gokudera and felt guiltier by the moment. However, he was still angry with the boy and how he had treated Harry as if he was the scum of the earth. Until he managed to calm down, he needed to be away from Gokudera for now regardless of what he was feeling. He caught Yamamoto's concerned look and waved it off, forcing a smile. The taller boy nodded back to him slowly. Taking a deep breath, he smiled somewhat. _'I'll just enjoy the rest of the way for now.'  
><em>  
>He was able to reconcile his friendship with Harry, meet up with Dino, and end up becoming friends with Kurokawa-san, or at least he hoped they were friends. The day had been a good one and he would prefer if it would continue that way without any interruptions. Everything seemed to be going up for them which was rare with Reborn constantly creating havoc for them all yet nothing bad had happened. He chalked it up as the infant doing something nice for a change since it would be troublesome to question the entire thing. Tsuna knew that he would end up making up for it tomorrow. Oddly that didn't seem too bad though. In fact, everything seemed brighter.<p>

Little did he know, a storm was brewing.

* * *

><p>Chapter Six-end.<p>

Oh man, I've already hit over a 100 reviews! I want to give a big thanks to all of you who reviewed and for your kind words. Because of you guys, this fic continues to be possible! I made sure to add some fluff between Yamamoto and Harry for you YamaHarry supporters!

Also, Dino finally make his debut in this chapter!

I don't know when the next update will be since it's finals month so please be patient for the next chapter, until next time!

Please make sure to leave constructive criticism in the review!


	7. Musings

Chapter 7: Musings

Someone was leaving food.

Harry had begun to notice upon reconciling with Tsuna and the others. The following day a giant bundle of food was waiting outside with his name attached to the basket, written in completely understandable English. A part of him wondered whether or not the food had been tampered with, especially after Reborn's little trick of sending Skull to attempt to attack him. Then again he had yet to open the black box that lay silently against the wall. Harry made no attempts to see what the box contained nor did he truly want to. He was still getting over the incident. While he had indeed forgiven Tsuna, having discovered that his friend had not had anything to do with Skull's attack, he was still wary of the small infant and chose to be cautious of Reborn along with any mysterious abnormalities that might turn up on the steps. That had been one of the reasons he was so hesitant at touching, let alone eating the food.

Thankfully there was a small pond and river just outside of the shrine where he was able to wash all the fruits and vegetables that were in the basket. Deep down in the basket had been enough money for him to buy necessities such as liquids and to live off of for the week, but it seemed off to Harry. He couldn't think of anyone who knew where he was or that would actually do such a thing for him. It seemed far too suspicious for him to ignore. There was absolutely no way for him to possibly be that lucky in life. Instead of touching the money, Harry placed it next the black box and never once touched it again. It wasn't his money so he wouldn't use it. He would wait and see who the owner of the money was so he could return it.

It didn't feel right to use someone else's money even if the person had given it to him. It was just wrong.

"Tsuna and the others are probably waiting for me," Harry murmured and placed the newest basket of food inside of the shrine. He glanced back at the place he had come to call home and as he walked down the steps, he looked around him.

The area where the shrine was located had become familiar to him. He had memorized the pathways and streets as much as he could. There were still days in which he got lost or confused on his way back _home_but he would eventually get to where he needed to, thanking the good luck that he had.

Unfortunately it also had its drawbacks. When he tried to find places or explore, he usually ended up in the wrong place. Thankfully his Japanese was starting to get better. Harry would admit that he was far from being fluent, and that was without the use of magic. Which he honestly didn't mind since the longer he spent time with Tsuna and the others the more he remembered how his life had been without magic. It was not necessarily easy but he had forgotten the joys of just having fun and moving around... minus all the bullying he endured, of course. Granted, magic was fun and everything, but there were just a lot of things you just simply couldn't replace with magic like playing super soaker or swimming at the beach.

Even though he hadn't gone into the water and had simply watched the others swim, it had been just as much fun as swimming, or at least that was what he told himself anyway.

If only things were just that simple. Harry wasn't stupid enough to think that he could permanently stay in Japan with Tsuna and the others; he had his friends and school to get back to. They were probably worried sick about him!

Especially since today was his birthday.

He hadn't been able to send them any letters nor had he received any. He had wondered whether or not the distance between England and Japan had been too great for any owl to reach him, magical or not. He could already imagine Hermione looking through many books for ways to find him, before grabbing Ron in order to help her. Sirius, Harry's Godfather, was probably going ballistic with fear and worry, though hopefully not on his way back to England where he was still a wanted fugitive of the law for a crime he never committed.

That was something that Harry didn't want to happen. Knowing Fudge, Sirius would be thrown to the Dementors in an instant. The man did not care about the truth and was only interested in getting rid of trash if it meant preserving the Ministry's image or rather, his image.

It baffled him; how could a man like Fudge manage to even get into office?

There were some questions that should simply be left unanswered.

He pushed those thoughts aside. Being able to hang out with friends wasn't the only reason he was excited. He was excited because this would be the first time he would celebrate his birthday with other people, even though none of them knew it. Not like that mattered to him; as far as Harry was concerned simply being around them was enough. Besides, he really didn't see what the big deal was about birthdays anyway. Not like anything good ever happened to him on them or during Halloween for that matter. Even then Harry was hoping that the day would at least turn out to be somewhat alright.

Some people might find it odd that he preferred being around people rather than material things, but that stuff didn't matter to him. It was the time he spent with people that he enjoyed and held dear. Material things could be replaced, memories couldn't.

He wondered if it was selfish to want to spend time with his friends during his birthday and a slight guilt bubbled up in him at the thought. Tsuna had invited him to hang out, so it was alright. It wasn't like he was demanding them to hang out with him like Dudley would...

...The Dursleys.

Harry had nearly forgotten about his relatives. Feeling any type of resentment towards them would be an utter lie. After all, Harry had had a feeling that they would pull a stunt like this ever since he was young. Actually having it happen to him left him stunned and shocked, but now that he had time to stop and think, it wasn't all that shocking. In fact he blamed himself for not finding it suspicious that Vernon would buy him a plane ticket and bring him along with the family on their trip.

In the end it had been his own stupidity that had gotten him stuck in the situation he currently was in. Damn it.

Sighing into his hand, Harry smiled sadly. "Whatever, at least I'm away from them."

Now where was he supposed to meet Tsuna and the others anyway? He dug through his pockets and pulled out a small handmade map. He looked at the directions and the characters that filled the paper. Much to his cringe, it there were kanji.

Kanji was a pain in the ass.

"I wish I could use magic or at least find someone from the magical community," Harry murmured under his breath and squinted his eyes, struggling to decipher the kanji, and his free hand slipped into his pocket to pull out his dictionary. "I guess this one—"

"You know," a bemused tone echoed in Harry's ear. "You should be very careful for what you wish for, child."

Harry whirled around, wand out, and glared warily at his surroundings. "Who's there?"

There was no one. Yet... something seemed far too off for Harry to be comfortable. He swallowed audibly and his eyes shifted rapidly from side to side, his body manoeuvring at each turn. He refused to let his guard down. His eyes narrowed into slits and he gritted his teeth in anger as he attempted to find the source of the voice. He whipped around and kept all of his sides covered, but then, slowly, his arm lowered and he gaped as he openly stared in shock.

Everything was frozen. The world surrounding him had been painted grey.

"What the hell..." Harry nervously looked around and stumbled backwards in fear. "How the hell did this happen!"

A chuckle echoed all around him. "I believe the correct statement would be 'who the hell did this.'"

"Who's there?" Harry repeated, frustration radiating off him.

"That," a man said from behind him, his voice tinted with amusement, and jumped into the air, "would be me."

Harry stared, eyeing the man carefully. The man was tall with platinum blond bordering on silver hair and he donned a white, puffy dress shirt with a black blazer around his chest and dress pants; his eyes were hidden behind the pair of shades but there was no doubt in Harry's mind that the man's eyes were filled with amusement. The way he moved spoke volumes. The man was filled with confidence, and power that Harry had never felt before in his life vibrated off of him.

He was paralyzed.

"Well, I must say I was expecting this," the man remarked and pushed up his shades, still smiling. "Allow me to introduce myself." He bowed politely in a melodramatic manner and spun his hand before placing it against his upper chest. "I am known as The Owner."

Harry could practically hear the capitals. "...The Owner?"

"Yes?"came the cheeky reply. There was a sly smile on the man's face.

"Funny," Harry commented dryly.

The Owner smiled and folded his arms. "Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere more private?" The man used his left hand to snap his fingers and the world around them changed within the second of the snap, replaced with what looked like to be a casino. The place was barren and void of people. The lights that hung above the room turned on, giving the room some much needed illumination. The man moved towards a seat and placed himself in it as he waved his hands. "I've been watching you since you came into town, you know." He shook his head with the smile still plastered on his face and his intense gaze fell on Harry.

"Is that so," Harry began, his eyes trained firmly on the man. Harry refused to trust him. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the man was not only powerful, but also knew a great deal of information. The fact that the man had been keeping an eye on him during all this time disturbed him, increasing the amount of distrust he had towards him. "And why didn't you come and talk to me earlier?"

The Owner leaned against the side of the bar and waved his hand whimsically. "Would there be a point? It is the job of the one in trouble to ask for assistance, not the other way around. It is a two way street, kid. Well..." He seemed to muse thoughtfully. "That's what I want to say anyway." He pushed up his glasses again while removing himself from the seat. He briskly walked past Harry straight to the table and gestured towards it. "Come and take a look at this table."

Cautiously, Harry made his way over but maintained a great deal of distance between them. "Okay what am I taking a look at?"

"The possibilities," The Owner answered.

Before Harry could say anything, the sounds of snapping sounded through his ears before coins fell from the sky and landed on the table. Curious, his eyes skimmed the table, looking at the coins which lay quietly before him.

"The coins represent possibility. Heads or tails," The Owner explained calmly as he walked to Harry. He pointed at the coins. "The coins that are now on the table represent your possibilities and the choices that you have or will be forced to make. As you can see, there are many choices open to you. But be aware, my young friend. For every choice you make a change will occur in the stream of possibilities."

"So... you're saying when I make a choice a possibility that was originally there will also change. Almost like time travel?" Harry asked hesitantly.

The Owner pressed his lips together. "Not entirely wrong since you understood what I've told you."

"Alright," Harry nodded. "What now?"

"Now? Well now, Mr. Potter, you must make a choice," The Owner answered immediately.

"What kind of choice?"

The man's lips twitched. "A very simple choice," He pulled out a box from behind him and slowly opened it, revealing a small ring coated in bright grey. At the centre of the ring were two nodes twisted in opposite directions with carvings of sigil designs that looked like runes; one was black and the other white. "Whether or not you will be taking the ring within this box, it is a very special ring. Not many of them exist in the world due to knowledge of the metalwork being lost. This ring will protect you from being detected by the Ministry of Magic—"

"What about the Japanese Ministry of Magic?" Harry cut in. "And why should I believe you?"

The Owner smiled. "Well that, my boy, is up to you to believe. So what will you do? Will you take the ring or will you continue on as you are...defenceless?"

Harry hated to admit it, but the man definitely had a point. Being unable to use his magic could prove to be dangerous even though he had been able to rely on his instincts in order to survive. Relying on his instincts was not a problem nor did it bother him since he had done it when he was a child to survive living with the Dursleys. That was then. Now he was stuck in a completely different country and was barely able to communicate properly with others besides Tsuna and his friends, and as much as he cared for them, Harry knew he couldn't always count on them to bail him out of trouble or come to his aid. It wasn't a cynical thought, just realistic. He needed to stand on his own for once.

That didn't mean that he would trust this man. Something about him made Harry uneasy. The display of power that the man had shown, proving him to be a strong opponent and skilled magic user, hadn't helped. Yet here he was offering to help Harry overcome his problem. The question that he wanted to know was: why?

"Because I want to," The Owner stated. He grinned at Harry's perplexed expression. "You were mumbling to yourself."

Harry flushed. "Oh..."

"So are you going to take the ring or not?" The Owner questioned with a cheeky smile, still holding the box steadily in front of him.

Harry was torn between temptation to take the ring so that he could utilize his magic and believing his mistrust in the man and refuse the offer and walk out of there. While he had no reason to distrust the man, the mere fact of the matter was how off he felt. The shades only aided the man's suspiciousness. But having his magic again would allow Harry to figure out whether the man was truly an ally or a foe simply using him for his own endeavours.

The choice was his.

Gathering his Gryffindor courage he stepped forward and grasped the ring rightly in his hands. "I'll take it," Harry stated softly, and with his narrowed eyes looking at the man, he slipped the ring on slowly. Oddly enough, it snuggled against his skin comfortably.

"Very good," The Owner stated, obviously happy with the choice, and placed the box on the table. "Now that you have made your choice, I do believe that you want to meet up with your friends, correct?" With a smile that seemed all knowing, he gestured to the door at the far end of the room. "If you take that door it should lead you to somewhere near the location of your friends."

"Why are you helping me?" Harry asked abruptly.

The Owner chuckled. "Helping you? Who knows?"

The man shrugged his shoulders dismissively while guiding Harry towards the door. He opened it in a nonchalant manner and gave Harry a small push forward. Before shutting the door, he leaned forward. His lips brushed against Harry's ear, his warm breath evoking a ticklish feel. "Perhaps you are the one that's helping me."

Harry whipped around as the door slammed shut, vanishing from his sight and leaving only a cement wall in its place.

"Was... that a cloaking spell of some sort?" Harry questioned, instantly pressing his hand against the wall but felt nothing there but the rumble and hardened texture. Not even a whiff of magic was coming from the wall; it was empty and barren. "... An... illusion?"

He could vaguely recall learning about illusions in the previous year. Making an illusion was creating something out of nothing, making it solid to the human eye and real to the mind and body. It was a highly dangerous and lethal branch of magic; unfortunately that branch was slowly fading away into obscurity due to the lack of true masters of the art, and little potential and interest. Those that were masters of the arts hid themselves away from the public eye, refusing to take on students or simply because they didn't care. Harry wondered whether or not if illusions were not only damaging to the opponent but also to the user, having to protect their perception of reality while changing the world's perception in turn without losing themselves within the illusion.

It was sad really.

"I shouldn't linger here much longer," Harry told himself bitterly, his gaze held tightly on the wall. "Tsuna and the others are probably still wondering where I am anyway, best not to keep them waiting... well, Gokudera in any case."

Even now he was still trying to figure out the Italian boy's problem with him... and with everyone else too. Come to think of it the only ones that the boy didn't lash out at were Tsuna, I-pin and the girls minus Hana and on the rare occasion, Haru. Then again... Hana usually initiated the arguments or at least responded to the other boy's rage and Haru lashed out in defense.

Speaking of which, Harry was certain he was in for a tongue lashing when he arrived.

* * *

><p>"HOW DARE HE MAKE JYUUDAIME WAIT SO LONG!"<p>

A collective sigh came from the small group as they watched the silver haired boy making a scene, snarling and growling like a dog while pulling out sticks of dynamite from his jacket and starting to slur a string of threats. Being a part of Tsuna's group, it was a pretty common thing when Gokudera was involved. In the beginning it had been rather amusing how easily the boy could get so riled up so quickly before it had started to become an average daily moment and now it was just starting to get old and pissing most of them off. In fact he had started acting like a real brat over the past few weeks, particularly towards Harry.

"Be quiet, Gokudera," Bianchi chided her brother, glaring at him. Due to Tsuna's request she wore goggles on her face. Playing the oblivious sister, she complied with the boy's request, fully aware that Gokudera, or rather her brother's stomach couldn't handle her presence. Needlessly to say and as horrible as it was, she did secretly enjoy it.

Gokudera snarled at her. "Don't tell me what to do!"

"Would it kill you to stop acting like a child for one minute?" Hana snarled, eying him with disinterest and coldness.

"Shut the hell up, bitch!" Gokudera snapped at her.

Yamamoto frowned. "Oi Gokudera, you shouldn't say that to a girl!"

"Gokudera, please!" Tsuna pleaded at the boy. "Stop!"

Looking into the large brown eyes staring up at him helplessly, Gokudera felt his anger die, feeling embarrassed and ashamed at his reckless display of emotion in front of Juudaime. He apologized profusely to his boss while ignoring everyone else since they didn't really matter anyway. At least to him. The family only needed Juudaime and himself in the long run; after all, he sincerely doubted that the baseball freak, the stupid cow or that foreigner could provide anything useful to the Vongola anyway.

Especially the foreigner.

The others only saw his dislike and distrust of the boy as racism and pointless jealousy. He could forgive them for their misconceptions and misunderstanding of his point of view. He had been raised in a mafia family and he and Bianchi had been taught from a young age about spies slipping into families in order to gain information to pass to another family. I-pin and the idiot cow didn't count since they were young children. They were trained assassins, yes, but still children in his eyes, so he didn't consider them as spies or enemies. I-pin was too much of a sweet and shy girl that her entire body language gave away the inner workings of her mind and she wore her heart on her sleeve while the idiot cow was an idiot cow.

Not much to say there.

"He'll be here soon," Reborn piped, standing on the table.

"What makes you say that, Reborn-chan?" Haru asked, clearly interested in what Reborn had to say. Her eyes shined with curiosity and eagerness; Reborn always seemed to have a knack for having frighteningly accurate predictions and assumptions although he never explained further beyond them. Was he simply a good reader of people or was it more than simply that? The puzzle that surrounded Tsuna and Reborn was starting to get deeper and deeper. It was an absolute thrill!

The infant smirked at her.

"I'm sure Potter-kun will show up! He seems like an extreme guy!" Ryohei roared loudly, punching his fist up.

Kyoko smiled and nodded, clapping. "I'm sure he's just having trouble getting here, right Hana?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Hana agreed dryly, waving her hand apathetically.

Tsuna felt his eye twitch. _'What kind of answer is that!'  
><em>  
>Harry was starting to slowly get the hand of Japanese, although he had trouble every now and then with certain words and phrases. That was normal; Tsuna himself also had trouble with simple English words and phrases so he could hardly blame the younger boy with having trouble with directions even if they had written it down on paper for him.<p>

"Mah, mah." Yamamoto waved his hand, grinning widely. "Let's just trust the kid's word alright? Besides! I'm sure that Harry wants to spend the day with us!"

Tsuna nodded firmly. "We just have to be patient is all!"

"... If that's what Juudaime wishes," Gokudera mumbled, glancing to the side with arms folded against his chest, obviously not liking the idea.

Hana smiled sarcastically. "You've grown up a bit Sawada," she said, nodding with approval and then stared pointedly at him. "Now if only the same could be said for your grades!"

Tsuna winced visibly. He was trying! People expected too much from him far too quickly. He couldn't just change overnight like some people. Besides his grades were slowly making their way up to being nearly passable now!

"Shut up woman! The Juudaime is doing excellent in school!" Gokudera shouted at her, glaring at her, challenging her.

Hana remained silent, leaning forward to place her elbows on the table. "How about a bet, Go-ku-de-ra," she said his name slowly as a coy smile slid onto her face. "One week. Just one week of tutoring Sawada on my terms, and I can guarantee you his grades will soar higher instead of being under you monkeys!"

"H-Hana...,"Kyoko and Haru said nervously in unison, practically sweating.

"Heh, yeah right, woman!" Gokudera sneered, smiling smugly. "You're on!"

Hana's eyes gleamed. "Good... good, I'm glad that we agree then. You hear that Sawada?" The innocent tone of her voice was a facade. "Come to school. You're mine."

_'WHY!_' Tsuna screamed mentally, fighting the urge to cry.

Yamamoto, sensing his friend's dismay, draped an arm over Tsuna's shoulder. "Hey Kurokawa do you mind tutoring me as well? I'm having trouble in Math and English. I really want to be able to communicate with Harry, you know?"

"...Fine," Hana relented with a tone of finality, looking bored.

"Thanks!" Yamamoto grinned, giving the peace sign.

Gokudera scowled. "Hn, you need all the help you can get baseball idiot! Your English is atrocious to my ears!"

"Do you know English?" Tsuna asked him curiously.

"W-well... I... t-that is to say..." Gokudera began sweating rapidly, feeling everyone's eyes on him. A giant lump grew in his throat the longer the stares remained focused on him until he dropped his head in shame. "Y... yes, Jyuudaime. I do know English."

The moment those words left his mouth it had become awkwardly silent. He sweated under the looks of disbelief and shock. Everyone was blatantly staring at him with the exception of Reborn, who was smirking at him. Gokudera gritted his teeth and slammed his eyes close, awaiting the verbal abuse from everyone else—

"Ah. You must have forgotten then," Yamamoto remarked, forming a fist and hitting it into his free hand. "You know a lot of languages so you could have gotten them confused and mixed up, so that's why you didn't say anything earlier."

"T-that makes sense," Tsuna said slowly, looking between his two friends. "Speaking of which, how many languages do you know Gokudera-kun?"

Saved by the baseball idiot, Gokudera made a mental note to get the idiot something good. "I know a few languages; Italian, English and Japanese which I'm fluent in. I also know a bit of German and French as well." He grinned at the awed gaze he received from his boss.

"That's amazing, Gokudera!" Tsuna praised.

_'Juudaime!'_ Gokudera could have died then and there, feeling his entire body melt.

"Hey! Harry-kun is here!" Haru cried, happily.

Gokudera froze. Damn.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. I got lost!" Harry apologized, sheepishly scratching the side of his face as he joined the group. "I hope I didn't keep you all waiting long!"

Bianchi smiled warmly. "No, you arrived just in time."

"Harry! Harry!" Lambo cried from his seat in Haru's hold, struggling to get out. "You're late! Just like Dame-Tsuna!"

Harry went over to the boy, lowering himself enough to connect their eyes and placing his hand on Lambo's afro hair. "Lambo, you shouldn't call Tsuna that. It's very rude. Apologize to him." Even though it was said in a polite manner, it carried a firm edge.

The cow child pouted. "...You have to play with Lambo-san then!"

"Alright," Harry responded instantly with a smile.

"I-pin too!"the Chinese girl cried, sitting on Kyoko's shoulders.

Harry looked over, nodding. "And you as well Ipin."

"You're very good with children, Harry-kun!" Haru complimented before sending a dark look at Gokudera. "Unlike someone we all know."

"What was that, woman?" the half-Italian growled angrily.

Hana rolled her eyes. "Here we go again. Gokudera can't keep his anger in check."

"Well... got to give him credit for standing his ground, Hana," Harry stated, watching as the two began to yell and shout at one another. It was rather funny actually. He noticed how everyone simply stood around sighing at the fight. "So what are we doing today?"

"Well," Tsuna began with a nervous smile, "I was thinking we could go around town a bit or something. Just hang out, I guess?"

Yamamoto grinned. "How about the mall?"

"We went there last time, you idiot monkey. Remember?" Hana snapped at him, shaking her head, and eyed the taller boy. "Sometimes I wonder whether or not you were dropped on your head when you were younger, Yamamoto."

"Oh yeah!" The baseball teen remembered, still grinning widely. "My bad!"

The brunette girl shook her head, sighing.

"What about the park?" Kyoko suggested brightly.

Haru pushed Gokudera aside. "Yeah! The park would be a good place! We could have a picnic and everything!"

"W-well that does sound n-nice and all but we don't have any food or anything!" Tsuna stated after contemplating the idea, frowning uncertainly. He also didn't want to bother his mom to make food for them since his mom deserved a rest after she had to deal with their antics every day. "H-How about we do something different l-like the arcade?"

Hana crossed her arms. "Again?" She was annoyed and disappointed. Tsuna was the one who called them out so the very least he could do was plan something! Then again, the brunet boy wasn't the type of person to do things a head of time. "Well, whatever you monkeys want to do, I guess I'll tag along."

"The more the merrier!" Yamamoto laughed.

Kyoko giggled. "I'm not one for video games, but I'll play!"

"Yeah!" Haru stated with a smile. Then she gave Gokudera a sly smile. "In fact, let's all make a wager to make it more interesting."

Tsuna and Harry exchanged a look, completely bewildered. "Bet?" they said in unison, raising an eyebrow at the normally quirky girl.

"Yes," Haru responded and smiled a smile that didn't quite hide a gleam in her eyes. "A bet, that's all."

"... What kind of bet, wench?" Gokudera growled dangerously, eyeing the girl.

Hana's lips stretched towards her eyes. "I think the bet should definitely be something fun, don't you agree Haru?"

"Yes. Definitely," the brunette girl agreed, eyes gleaming.

It was at that moment in time when all of them realized that whatever the two girls had planned wouldn't be in their favour, as dark auras began to emit from them and they continued wearing the strange smiles on their faces.

"H-how about we go to downtown instead!" Tsuna suggested instantly, not wanting to be forced to bet. "I-I mean it's Haru and Kyoko's Appreciation Day right?" He mentally cheered himself on for being able to remember that little bit.

"Tsuna-san's right!" Haru exclaimed, beaming. "Haru forgot about that!"

Kyoko giggled. "Then how about we go shopping?"

"Hmmm... well we definitely have extra sets of arms," Hana began, sending a spine-chilling smirk towards the boys, delightfully watching as they all cringed in unison.

Bianchi pretended to think. "Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Downtown it is then!" Haru cheered loudly, grabbing Tsuna by the hand.

Harry felt a strange feeling of dread wash over him upon seeing the panicked and horrified looks that appeared on his friends' faces while the girls were grinningly widely at the prospect. He decided to keep his mouth shut as he silently followed the rest of them.

"C'mon." Hana's arm quickly linked with his, catching Harry by surprise. "You're coming with me!"

Blinking, Harry nodded. "Alright..."

It wasn't like it could be that bad, right?

* * *

><p>He was wrong. It hadn't been bad.<p>

It had been completely and utterly dreadful. Store after store, crowd after crowd, the girls just kept jumping into the nearest stores and grabbing whatever they could before piling it up on their shoulders and forcing them to carry their bags. It was exhausting and terrifying.

"Doing alright, Harry?" Hana mocked with fake concern, eyeing him slyly.

Harry leveled a cold look at her. "You're evil."

"What else is new?" the girl stated, waving her hand dismissively. "Besides you've known me long enough to have realized that anyway." She sipped her drink soundlessly and gazed at him. "So, when are you heading back to England?"

"H-head back?" Harry repeated nervously, eyes shifting quickly. "I-I'm not entirely sure to be honest, probably near the end of August most likely."

That was right. It was only a matter of time before he needed to head home back to Hogwarts. Not that Harry had any ideas on how to get back home but either way it was inevitable. Why did he keep on forgetting that?

If Hana had noticed his inner conflict, she didn't comment on it. "Eh, we'll keep in touch. You got a cell phone or an email?"

"... Cell phone? Email?" Oh wait a second, he thought, feeling stupid. "No," Harry responded. "I don't, I'm not old enough to have one yet!"

"And no email either?" Hana questioned doubtfully.

Harry's shoulders slumped casually. "They don't approve of computers. Think that they'll rot your brain." It wasn't entirely untruthful since Aunt Petunia seemed to dislike computers, making her a hypocrite since she spent all of her time watching TV in the living room and spying on the neighbours.

"Fair enough," Hana allowed, sipping her drink again. She glanced over to the side and watched as Gokudera made a fool of himself once again. That idiotic monkey couldn't keep his anger in check for even a small amount of time. "What an idiot."

"Gokudera isn't all that bad, Kurokawa!" Yamamoto cheerfully intoned, pulling up a seat to join them. "He just tends to go wild. All he needs is more calcium!"

Hana snorted. "More calcium? A nice long vacation is more like it!"

The taller boy simply chuckled, mentally agreeing with Kurokawa. "I'm sure he means well."

"Yeaaah... somewhere deep, deep down," Harry murmured, suddenly finding the wall rather fascinating.

Yamamoto beamed. "Hey! Your Japanese has improved!"

"I noticed too; it's become more structured and clearer," Hana noted seriously, sounding pleased.

Harry's face burned. "W-well I don't think I'm quite there yet. But thanks, Hana, Takeshi."

"Hehehe, just you wait! Soon my English will improve too!" the baseball player stated happily. "Then we can talk in both languages!"

"You need to cut down on the sugar," Hana stated dryly.

Over at the next table, Bianchi fondly observed as the three dived into a conversation animatedly. Very briefly, she closed her eyes and placed the side of her face on her palm while her elbow sat on the table.

"Thank you, Tsuna," she said.

The brunet boy blinked. "H-How did you...?" Shaking his head and deciding not to ask, he placed a cup of lemonade in front of her and pulled up a seat.

"I was trained," Bianchi informed, leaning back on the chair and letting out a soft chuckle, seeing a blush form on the boy's face. It was still difficult for her to believe that the boy before her was the heir to the Vongola Family. Tsuna was completely the total opposite of a mafia boss. He was timid, quiet, hesitant and rather cowardly yet he always placed the feelings of those around him first instead of his own desires, although he was merely mediocre for the most part for now. Given enough time she was certain that her beloved would help Tsuna become a great boss.

Tsuna swallowed, his small hands playing with his cup, and glanced nervously up at her then switching to the ground and back again. It was rather cute.

"Is there something you wish to ask me, Tsuna?"

The boy's face burned again. "A-ano... B-Bianchi... u-ummm..." His teeth chattered nervously and his fingertips played with the styro foam cup, twirling it around in circles. "W-what do you think of Harry-kun?"

That was a surprising question.

"He is a good boy," Bianchi began, looking thoughtful. Her fingers grasped the straw and her eyes glanced around towards the others. "He is different, in a good way." She, like Reborn, was able to tell that there was something that set Harry apart from the rest of them. It wasn't malicious, that much they had been able to decipher, but it managed to garner their curiosity. More so for Reborn than her. In truth, Bianchi was far more concerned about Harry's lackingheight and pale complexion rather than what was within.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Tsuna contemplated it. "Different?" It made sense, oddly enough. Somewhere deep in the corners of his mind a nagging tone tugged at him, agreeing with Bianchi's sentiments. It was an odd feeling that had developed upon Harry's arrival and remained until now. Since it proved to be an asset, Tsuna had begun to trust in the feeling. "I think I understand... but what would it be?"

"Who knows," Bianchi mused, dismissive. "As long as it does not hinder your progress, bring harm to the family or prove to be dangerous I personally see nothing wrong with it."

Tsuna's eyes twitched. '_Is that really the reason!'  
><em>  
>"Either way I don't believe that this is the time or place to be discussing such things. After all, you have a visitor." Bianchi's eyes flickered to the side. Her smirk stretched across her face and her eyes focused back on Tsuna.<p>

The brunet boy blinked. "Visitor?" Following the pointed direction, his eyes nearly bugged out upon seeing said visitor. He leapt out of his seat with surprise and fear, his body tense. "M-Mochida-s-senpai?"

"Y-yo...," the dark haired male greeted weakly, hand placed behind his head, a hesitant smile on his face. He shifted, his hand tugging the handle of his bag, avoiding the lingering stare from Tsuna and he seemed to be internally debating with himself before nodding and quickly making his way over, taking a seat. His face was completely red and his eyebrows were knitted together; he looked uncomfortable.

"I'll leave you two alone then." Bianchi got up from her seat, flipping her hair. "Play nicely you two."

"H-hey, don't leave!" Tsuna protested helplessly, watching as the woman ignored him and headed towards the table that Reborn was at. He cursed his luck and resigned himself to his fate of being stuck with the notorious bully of Namimori Middle.

"Wait!" Mochida's voice rang, his hand gripping Tsuna's wrist tightly. "Please," the desperate plea came out of the boy's mouth as he stared up at the brunet boy pitifully, squeezing the boy's hand. "H-hear me out, okay? Please!"

Tsuna blinked at the response, taken aback by the scared tone. "O...okay," He slowly slid into his seat, confused at the older boy's behaviour, completely different from the Mochida at school. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm sorry," the raven haired boy stated, bowing his head. "I really am sorry!"

What was this about? "What are you apologizing to me for?" Tsuna asked, bewildered.

The kendo captain stared. "I'm... apologizing?" Now it sounded more like a question.

"What for?" Tsuna repeated, only this time it sounded tired. "You don't have to apologize to me, Mochida-senpai."

Mochida bit his lip, looking to argue. "I bullied you... and I wronged you—"

So that was what it was about. Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose; it was strange that the older boy was now apologizing. No one had ever apologized to him before. Well, no one outside of the group anyhow. It seemed far too surreal for him to even think about. Growing up as the way he had, Tsuna had endured physical and verbal abuse from his peers. Bothering to fight against the abuse was fruitless and pointless; no one cared or they scoffed at it claiming that it was his own fault for being so _dame.  
><em>  
>The only one who had truly even given a damn had been the principal who encouraged Tsuna to try harder instead of listening to others. As much as he liked the man and appreciated the kind words, the reality of the situation was that it didn't matter. No one would bother to change their perspective of him and the damage had been done.<p>

Eventually he had stopped trying. That was before Reborn entered his life... and his friends.

"It's fine, Mochida-senpai." _I'm __used__ to it __anyway, _Tsuna added mentally, sober. Keeping a childish grudge was far too troublesome than it was worth and Mochida sounded sincere. He was willing to give the older boy the benefit of the doubt. "Don't worry about it, alright?"

Mochida stared at him. His face became red. "A-Ah!"

The older boy stood up quickly and bowed politely. "Thanks D...," he began slowly, but trailed off and paused. His body suddenly relaxed, a soft and gentle smile blossoming on his face. "Sawada," Mochida corrected sincerely. "Thank you... for everything."

"I... you're welcome?" Tsuna stuttered out, the sentence sounding more like a question instead of a statement.

"If you hadn't beaten me in kendo, I probably would have never pulled my head out of my ass." Mochida clarified, scratching his face. His lips twitched into a tiny smile. "If I had to lose to someone, Sawada, I'm glad that it was to you."

Tsuna held his hands up in defense. "T-That was a fluke! I-I'm not actually that good!"

"Maybe you just need to practice more?" the older teen suggested.

"I don't think I'm fit to use swords," Tsuna denied honestly. "B-But I know Yamamoto would be... I think?"

Mochida raised an eyebrow. "He's with the baseball club, so he's out. I ain't going to steal a member from another club. But... you're welcome to join or visit... whenever you want." For the third time his face had gone red. "A-Anyway, I-I have homework that I need to finish, so I'll talk to you later! See ya Sawada!"

With that the boy quickly hurried away from the table until he was no longer in sight. Tsuna sat there, blinking, before a smile broke out on his face, crinkling his eyes into soft crescents.

He didn't know what brought this up, but that was fine. He was happy to accept this tentative, newfound friendship.

Speaking of friendships, his eyes flickered over towards Gokudera noting how enraged the boy had become when Ryohei mentioned something igniting another argument with Haru backing the boxer up. He had been a bit disappointed that he hadn't stayed with his resolve to keep away from the silver haired boy. Admittedly that would be rather difficult to pull off due to Gokudera's stalker-ish tendencies. It hadn't helped that upon seeing the boy's puppy dog gaze he instantly felt guilty for thinking such thoughts.

Damn it.

Still, Tsuna knew that something had to be done about his friend's anger problems. At first he thought that expressing his anger would help Gokudera relax a bit more in the beginning of their friendship but all it had done was do the opposite and create conflict within the ground. He didn't know what to do. He sunk deeply into the chair and his hands ruffled his hair.

"Oi. Sawada, you alright?" The brisk feminine tone snapped the boy out of his depression. Hana was now sitting at the table, giving him a disinterested look.

"K-Kurokawa?"

The raven haired girl stared. "What is it, monkey?"

"N-Nothing! J-Just w-why are you sitting here?" Tsuna managed to ask. Why would she even bother sitting beside him anyway?

Hana shrugged. "Because I felt like it. Besides, Kami knows you need some intelligent influence, after hanging around the two monkeys every day I was afraid for your intelligence trouble. And I wanted to give those two some space." Her thumb pointed towards the table behind them.

Looking over at thetable, Tsuna saw Yamamoto and Harry sitting there, talking animatedly. Or rather Yamamoto was doing the majority of the talking while Harry simply listened intently. The cheerful expression on the taller boy's face and the calm, serene gaze on Harry's spoke volumes to Tsuna; a comfortable aura seemed to settle around the two. Just the way the both of them were, it looked right.

Hana sighed, shaking her head. "If only, you know Sawada?"

"... Know what?" Seriously, what did she even _mean _by that?

"I keep on forgetting that you're a boy. You wouldn't understand," Hana commented and shook her head with mock disappointment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned, feeling rather insulted.

Waving her hand, Hana leaned forward. "That's neither here or there, Sawada. What I really want to know is what your next move is."

"M... my next move?"

"Yes." The girl sounded annoyed now. "Your next move it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're annoyed with Gokudera and that infant. Face it Sawada, you're an open book and I've known you nearly my entire life. Of course, judging by your expression you have nothing thought up do you? Typical Sawada." She shook her head dramatically.

"H-Hey! I do to have a plan—!"

Hana's eyes sharpened. "Then let's hear it." The cold challenging tone in her voice was characteristically unlike her. Perhaps it was the so-called Ice Queen personality he had been hearing about. "Listen Sawada, you and I may not be the closest people in the world but believe it or not, I do care for you. Gokudera is a danger. You know that just as much as I do and we need to figure out how to deal with him and pronto." Arms folded on her chest, she stared at him. "I should be thankful he only goes after Haru and me, verbally. But who knows what he'll do if this keeps up. You need to stand your ground!"

"You care for me?"

Hana winced at the doubt in the boy's voice. "Sawada... I'm a bitch. Okay? But if I'm not then who will be the voice of reason and female authority around here? I'm being serious. All the teachers at the school are inept, idiotic or selfish bastards. The girls are all sheep, chasing after the next hottest thing and Kyoko is too innocent and oblivious to the world around her! Haru isn't stupid, but she doesn't go to our school and is pretty much like Kyoko, innocent and oblivious. At least she knows not to take everything for a grain of salt but still! Do you understand what I'm saying Sawada?"

Now that he began to think about it, clearly not many of the teachers seemed to have an inch of common sense. They believed whatever wild story Reborn cooked up and the sheer stupidity that occurred at the school without giving them a second thought. Many of the students also seemed to share the same syndrome of idiocy that the adults shared, although they did question the weirdness every once in a while before writing it off the next day. And Kyoko, bless her soul, always managed to look at the brighter side of things.

"Kyoko's sane though," Tsuna promoted dryly.

Hana glared at him. "And I'm not?"

"I never said that," he defended.

"Good." Hana nodded with approval. Noticing the crowd that had begun to form around them she abruptly stood up. "Let's get out of here, Sawada. I think we've overstayed our welcome anyway. Kyoko! Haru!" She completely ignored Tsuna tripping over his seat and falling on his stomach.

The brunet boy sighed, pushing himself off of the floor. "Oh well. Yamamoto? Harry?"

"Need a hand?" Yamamoto asked with a grin, his hand held out towards the shorter boy. He pulled his friend up. "Are you alright?" His hazel eyes brimmed with concern.

Tsuna chuckled weakly. "I'm fine, really! Anyway l-let's head over to my place."

"You sure, Tsuna?" Yamamoto's eyes sharpened as did his tone. "We could always head over to my place, you know." Sometimes he felt that the rest of them imposed on Tsuna's and Sawada-san's hospitality far too often than they should especially since Bianchi, Lambo, Ipin and the kid had all conveniently moved into the Sawada household without as much as blinking an eye. Sawada-san seemed to enjoy cooking for others and for Tsuna to have them over, probably due to Tsuna being a rather lonely teen before.

Yamamoto visibly winced, rather guilty that he had not reached out and befriended the boy earlier.

"Takeshi?" Harry's voice snapped him out of his reverie where he was standing on the side staring at Tsuna. "It will be alright. He has his with him, right?"

His hazel eyes softened, and he returned his gaze to the brunet boy. "Ah. Definitely." His fingers gently brushed against the other boy's only just, as Harry moved over to join the others. Shaking his head, Yamamoto rolled his eyes and quickly followed behind.

The group began heading straight towards Tsuna's place without much of a hassle. Lambo and Ipin had been rather energetic and hyper since they did not get a chance to play with Harry or play at all. All in all the day had been rather enjoyable. Even Gokudera had enjoyed himself, despite getting into nothing more than arguments with Haru and Ryohei that was neither here nor there.

"Will your mother mind having us over, Sawada?" Hana asked bluntly, a worried look marring her face.

Tsuna smiled. "Mom likes it when I bring people over."

_Because I've never had friends over until __now, _lingered in the minds of those that knew Tsuna prior to Namimori. Each of them wore a guilty or darkened expression.

"Would it really be alright though?" Harry spoke up. "I don't want to impose on you..."

Before Tsuna was able to make a reply a distinct sound pierced the air, gaining their attention. Their heads snapped around to locate the origin of the sound. Instinctively, Yamamoto, Bianchi and Gokudera moved themselves to a barrier like position; shifting into defensive stances, each of them gripped their respective weapons; Yamamoto held the strip of his bag and Gokudera whipped out dynamites while his sister took out a small vial of purple liquid. Lambo and Ipin had gone oddly silent, observing from Haru's and Kyoko's arms. The two girls were worried and frightened, centering into the barrier and holding the two infants tightly against their chests.

"What was that?" Hana's eyes darted sharply, covering the back along with Ryohei. "It was definitely human and close."

Ryohei grunted. "Extremely mysterious."

"An enemy?" Bianchi whispered, exchanging a meaningful glance with Gokudera.

Yamamoto frowned. "I don't think any of us have enemies."

"We should check it out," Tsuna said. He looked perplexed at his own words. "No, we _need _to check it out."

"S-Sawada!" Hana didn't know whether Tsuna's sudden bravery was admirable or male stupidity. "Why?"

The teen didn't spare her a glance. "A feeling," That same feeling at the back of his head was whispering to him to go and investigate the scene.

"I agree with Tsuna, we should check it out. The sound came from the direction near Tsuna's house," Harry stated, his eyes narrowed. "If it comes to a fight we have the advantage of numbers."

"Why do you sound so optimistic?" Hana sighed. It had to be a guy thing. It just had to be!

Another sound echoed before another word could be said and it was much clearer than the previous one, a desperate cry from a human.

Not wasting a single moment, Tsuna and Harry bolted together, with the younger boy slightly quicker than Tsuna was. The brunet was able to keep up with Harry's pace, sharply turning around the corner and skidding on the concrete before coming to a full stop as two figures sat in the distance, silhouetted by the sun's rays.

"Hey!" Harry called out. "Are both of you alright?"

The smaller silhouette moved. "Y-yes but, I-I need help! I can't carry him by myself!"

"Hold on! We're coming!" Harry yelled, quickly exchanging a nod with Tsuna. Together they headed over to the small red-haired boy, placing the older male on his knees. To his surprise it was the same guy that Harry had run into not that long ago, unfortunately a large and dark bruise was on his eyes. "What happened?"

The boy looked uncertain. "I-I don't know, I just saw him laying out here when I was coming home from cram school! I couldn't just leave him here!"

"It's alright. The others should be here shortly," Harry informed the boy and glanced at Tsuna. "Should we wait for everyone else?"

Tsuna nodded. "I-I think that would be a good idea. B-by the way haven't I seen you before?"

"Eh?" The red-head pointed to himself, blinking rapidly. Adjusting his glasses, he leaned forward and frowned. "You look familiar..."

"Oi! Tsuna! Harry!" Yamamoto's voice came from the corner. The rest of the group was with him, running over towards them. Upon arriving, the taller teen frowned, kneeling down and gazing deeply at the bruise. "How long as he been like this?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know."

"There's a first aid kit back at the house," Bianchi stated instantly. "We should take him there."

"Yeah." Tsuna nodded, agreeing. He looked back at the red-head and was confused by the sudden fidgetiness. "H-hey, are you alright?"

The redhead pointed at the woman, arm shaking. "Y-You! B-Bikini!"

"Bikini?" Harry raised an eyebrow at Bianchi who simply smiled.

"I remember you," she stated calmly. "Now isn't the time for this. This man needs to be looked after first and the house isn't far from here, you are welcome to join us...?"

"I-Irie S-Shoichi!"

Bianchi smiled. "Irie-kun then, you are welcome to join us."

Harry and Tsuna quickly picked up the turquoise haired man, lifting him carefully off of the ground and headed straight to Tsuna's house without delay. Upon seeing the injured man, Nana ushered them upstairs while hastily handing out orders; Harry, Shoichi and Tsuna were to put the man into bed while Gokudera and Yamamoto were given the job of gathering a bucket of water and a cloth, with Ryohei assisting the two. The girls helped the woman prepare some hot soup and ice cubes for the man and start dinner for the rest of them. Ipin and Lambo also helped the girls in order to keep them out of the way.

All of them sat, watching the man sleep on the bed in the guest room.

"From the looks of it, it seems to be a fever of sorts," Nana said, gently looking at the man's burnt red face. Her hand slid gently over the bruise, barely skimming it. The man winced, his body curling into a ball as he shook. Not even flinching, she gazed at him sorrowfully. "I see..."

"M-mom?" Tsuna asked, worried.

Bianchi frowned. "Abuse," a low hiss escaped her mouth.

"Yes," Nana answered quietly.

"That's disgusting!" Hana snapped, angry. "How can anyone do such a thing!"

"It's control." Harry was the one who answered his eyes darkened and distant. "When people have power or a hold over a person, they wish to exploit it without any regard for the person, be it family or _'love'_." He made quotation marks with his fingers. "In the end it's all about power and dominance, having control over someone else is like a drug, especially when you know they can't fight back or have no escape."

An ominous atmosphere developed and everyone seemed to focus their attention on the younger boy, considering his words carefully. Hana, Yamamoto and Tsuna gazed at him deeply. The brunet girl was about to say something, only for Yamamoto to stop her.

Nana stood from the bed. "I think that's enough for now, let's allow him to rest now shall we?"

Piling out of the room, the group retired straight to Tsuna's room, each given a plate of warm soup for them to eat. Irie unfortunately had to go home upon receiving a call from his mother and bid the others a good night.

"I don't think I want to go to class tomorrow!" Tsuna whined, back against his bed.

Harry blinked. "School? Isn't it summer for you guys?"

"Sawada, Yamamoto and Ryohei are all in summer classes," Hana informed flatly. "And of course, Gokudera is as well—"

"Only for Jyuudaime's sake!"

Hana rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"What was that, woman?" Gokudera roared.

Harry shook his head, bemused at the chaos that erupted in the room with Tsuna attempting to defuse the argument between Gokudera and Hana and only succeeding slightly before the girl made another comment, launching the two into yet another fight, this time with Tsuna trapped in the middle between them. Haru and Kyoko launched into their own conversation, giggling and smiling happily at each other and Ryohei sat confused before he joined the verbal shouting match with Hana probably just because he was able to.

Shaking his head fondly, Harry remained silent, preferring to watch.

"It's never a dull moment with Tsuna, is it?" Yamamoto asked cheerfully, sitting beside him, his hazel eyes gleaming happily at the others and they softened upon glancing at Harry.

"True," Harry allowed, smiling.

The taller teen chuckled. "It's fun being with friends isn't it?"

"Yeah, definitely," Harry responded, nodding.

Yamamoto simply smiled.

_Tap.  
><em>_  
>Tap<em>tap_tap.  
><em>  
>"Where's that noise coming from?" Tsuna asked, frowning, and stood up.<p>

Gokudera's eyes narrowed. "It's coming from the window."

Cautiously, Tsuna went over to the window, hand shaking as his fingers grasped the curtains. Gulping loudly and shutting his eyes, Tsuna roughly pulled them to the side and quickly opened his eyes, relaxing his body awkwardly.

"A... bird?"

"It's an owl, Sawada!" Hana chided from the table. "Know your animals!"

Haru frowned. "Why is it in Japan though?"

"It looks like it's carrying something—" Kyoko began only to get interrupted.

"Hedwig!" Harry ignored the stares as he went over to the window, opening it to allow the snowy owl to fly through the room, circling around them several times, before finally landing on the centre of the table. She ruffled hers wings and squawked at Harry angrily. Wincing as he kneeled at the table, Harry gently caressed Hedwig's feathers. "I'm sorry, girl. I didn't mean for any of that to happen."

The owl glared, letting out a furious hoot.

"Alright, alright I promise I'll get you a huge bag of bacon," Harry promised.

Hedwig made a sly hoot.

"Fine. Two bags of bacon," Harry relented and sighed heavily, petting his beloved partner. Hearing the happy hoot from Hedwig, he knew that he had been forgiven. "Err..." Noticing that everyone was staring at him, his face burned for a moment. "Everyone this is my partner, Hedwig. Hedwig, everyone."

"She's beautiful!" Haru cooed loudly.

Kyoko nodded. "Very pretty!"

Hedwig let out an appreciative hoot, waving her wing.

Hana, on the other hand, didn't make a comment as she noticed the brown bag attached to the owl's leg and started to untie it. Upon untying the bag, many wrapped gifts and letters spilled out from the top, landing straight onto the floor.

"Are those gifts?" she asked suspiciously, holding one up.

Ryohei leaned over her. "They look extremely like birthday gifts!"

Harry shifted uncomfortable. "That's because... they are... Today's my birthday."

An awkward silence appeared. Harry felt the incredulous stares of his friends and a dreadful feeling in his stomach formed, making Harry desperately want to disappear as quickly as possible. The longer the silence lasted the fast he wished to die.

"IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?"

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven-End.<p>

And so ends, the chapter filled with foreshadowing, Hedwig's and Irie's appearance and of course, everyone's favorite part CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! I originally finished this chapter last month along with chapter 8, which is currently being edited by my lovely beta Jasmin Liertha. So please except the next chapter soon!

As many of you have noticed, the poll has been decided but that doesn't meant I don't have things planned! So look forward to it!

I would also like to request some serious feedback in where you think this fic is currently heading. Until next time, make sure to leave constructive criticism!


	8. Out and About

Chapter 8:

Cries of disbelief rang loud and clear, as Harry cringed away nervously from the slacked jaw and dumbfounded looks. He hadn't expected such an extreme reaction, it was simply his birthday. Shifting uncomfortably, the tense air started to vanish as their minds decided to function again, Harry felt his lips twitch in amusement. While completely unexpected it was, seeing his friends with such hilarious expression was certainly had been worth seeing!

Hana was the first to recover. "It was your birthday and you didn't bother to tell us? Idiot!" Snarling, fist slammed loudly on the table shooting up when doing so. "This has to be another guy thing! Arg!" clenched her teeth and glared at him fiercely.

Honestly, she couldn't find the energy in her to even remotely feel bad. If anything, Hana cursed herself for not considering the possibility of Harry's birthday being uncelebrated. The gleam of surprise which appeared quietly in his eyes said more than what had been needed. Judging by it, the presents that had fallen out of the sack must have been the first time he had received any! Blood began to boil further as she recalled the speech he had given earlier. Seeing the small grouping of packages she assumed that they were from friends of his back home. Why hadn't they bothered waiting until Harry arrived home and for that matter why where they sending them now?

Feeling a throbbing pain develop at the back of her mind, she massaged the side of her head. A headache, perfect, It was just what she needed.

Across the room Hana noted Yamamoto's darkened seemed far unlike the eyes she normally saw. It chilled her to the bone, it was at the point when Hana began to realize that the baseball player, despite his common idiotic monkey and happy-go lucky like nature, that underneath it all Yamamoto could commit murder. Easily, and not feel a damn thing.

Everyone had different sides to them. Even she had a side kept hidden underneath the surface, refusing to allow anyone to gain a peek.

However, now it was not the time to dwell on that. Hana had an idea of where to get the answers to her questions.

"Why didn't you tell us to the extreme!" Ryohei all but screamed, confused by the revelation and why Harry hadn't told them anything.

Harry shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does!" Haru exclaimed, in an 'as a matter of fact' tone. "Birthdays are to celebrate your day of birth with your friends and family!"

Kyoko nodded, backing up her friend. "Yes, we could do something now!"

"Like bake a cake with Bianchi-san and Sawada-san!"

The redhead girl nodded again, cheerfully. "Or maybe baking some cookies for everyone!"

"O-Oi! Kyoko-chan! Haru!" Tsuna chided gently, eyes flickered over to Harry briefly then back on the girls. Harry was already uncomfortable as it was. "I-It's a bit late for that, isn't it?"

Yamamoto cleared his throat, smiling brightly. "Maa, maa. We could always do something tomorrow, right?" It wasn't a suggestion if his eyes had anything to say about it.

"Che, only if that's what the Jyuudaime wants," Gokudera snipped roughly.

Hana ignored the half-Italian. "Well?"

"W-well..." Harry began slowly, thinking it over. "I guess that would be alright?"

Being able to spend time with his friends made Harry very happy, unfortunately he really wasn't sure what to do. Growing up with the Dursleys had made him socially awkward and withdrawn with the exception of having impeccable manners drilled into him. But going out and making decisions based on fun seemed like a foreign concept, while he had been granted a level of freedom during his stay at the Leaky Cauldron before third year, it felt weird nonetheless. Hanging out with Ron and Hermione had been simple due to the fact that he either played chess or talked about Quidditch with Ron, or discuss homework and literature with Hermione in the library.

Between doing something he liked and doing something expected of him eventually became one and the same. It never mattered to others about what Harry thought, liked or whatever. They only believed that Harry liked what other Gryffindors liked or what his parents liked or did during their spare time. Not that Harry knew otherwise, he never really got a chance to actually know much about them besides various pieces from Professors, shop keeps and Sirius. What Harry did like was feeling the breeze against him and having his feet off the ground, zooming through the air freely without restraint. There absolutely no words to describe just how wonderful it felt to fly.

"So?" Repeated Hana lazily, eyes bored. "Decided what to do?"

"Errr... hang out tomorrow?" His response came out weakly, flinching at the irritated gaze from the girl. "I don't know much about Japan, so any ideas?" Confessing truthfully, he hadn't explored much of the city other than hanging out with Tsuna and the others and the shrine he was living at.

"How about a baseball game?" Yamamoto offered, grinning.

"No!" Hana and Gokudera snapped in unison, prompting the taller teen to pout.

Kyoko looked thoughtful. "How about the Zoo?"

"No!" Tsuna cried out desperately. "Remember last time?"

Ryohei grinned. "That was fun to the extreme!"

"Last time?" Harry quipped.

Hana shrugged. "I don't know and I don't think I want to know."

"Maybe a movie?" Haru suggested.

"What about a bakery?"

The two girls once again ensconced themselves into their own little world attempting to come up with things to do for tomorrow, oblivious to the bemused looks from the others.

"We could always have sushi at my place," Yamamoto answered obliviously.

Tsuna blinked. "I-is that alright though?"

After staying the night over at Yamamoto's place he had learned that his friend's father ran Takushi, which had surprised him. A part of him had felt bad that he hadn't tried to learn more about Yamamoto and his home life, but he didn't want to pry into his friend's life like that.

Gokudera scoffed. "Please, we always go there!"

"Harry hasn't," The taller teen pointed out, eyes sharpening. "Unless you have a problem against my oyaji's cooking."

Suddenly the room had become colder watching as the two stared down against each other. Gokudera grunted loudly, turning away childishly and faced the wall.

"Takushi, huh?" Hana broke the silence, smirking wildly. "I recommend the place to everyone," glancing slyly at the half-Italian, enjoying as he winced. "In fact, it's the only place I go to eat sushi."

Yamamoto beamed. "Thanks Kurokawa! My oyaji will be happen to hear that!"

"Don't go and get a big head, you monkey. I was complimenting your dad, not you." Hana warned.

"Yesch, I know! I know!" The baseball player replied shrugged, then turned to Harry. "Have you ever eaten sushi before?"

"Afraid not," Harry admitted truthfully.

"Then tomorrow will be your first time!" Yamamoto decided, only to let out a howl of pain as Hana leaned over to punch him in the arm. "Ow!"

"Don't go and making decision by yourself," Hana grunted, and looked at Harry. "Well?"

Sweating under the gaze, he nodded. "S-Sure..."

Hana looked satisfied, eyes switched over to Tsuna. "Oi, Sawada when are your summer classes done for the day?"

"Errr...usually around noon," The brunet answered.

"And when are you summer classes over completely?" She added.

"I think next week," Tsuna looked at Yamamoto, whom grinned.

Hana nodded. "Good."

The three boys exchanged bewildered looks only to decide not the question it, dismissing it as a girl thing.

"Aren't you going to open your presents, Harry-san?" Haru piped up, curiously as she smiled energetically at the younger boy. He reminded her so much of Tsuna, both rather small and timid but deep down was strong and courageous; all he needed as push in the right direction was all. Just like her beloved Tsuna-san, nearly swooning over the memory of him saving her from drowning.

"H-huh?" Harry blinked back, looking at the presents and frowning. "U-um...err..."

"Haru," Kyoko astonished her friend.

The brunette girl flushed. "S-sorry that was rude wasn't it?"

"It's fine," Harry allowed smiling at the older girl. "Don't worry about it."

Looking over the small abundance of gifts, Harry noted that there were two boxes of cake; one from the Weasleys and the other from Hagrid. It had been easy to figure out since they were the only two possibilities and the fact that Hermione didn't know how to cook or bake, or had any interest in learning how to had ruled her out of sending a cake. The rectangle like package was most likely from her though, judging by the length and width of the object while the two letters that remained silently on the ground belonged to Sirius and Ron.

"What are you waiting for, open them already!" Gokudera growled out.

Hana frowned. "There's no need to be rude you monkey."

"Shut up wench," The half-Italian grunted at her. "I'm getting tired of waiting."

Harry frowned. "Her name is Hana and I suggest that you start using it, Gokudera."

"No one asked your opinion gaijin!" The silver haired teen snapped at him angrily, glaring at him. "I'll call her whatever I want to!"

Hana didn't even seem fazed. "Just shows how much of a monkey you are," waving her hand whimsically. "Can't even come up with more intellectual insults," not that it surprised her.

"Why you-"

SLAM.

The sound caught many of them off guard making them all jump into the air in surprise. Heads snapped around to find the source until they saw Tsuna standing with his fist on the table. He was panting rather heavily, while his eyes shined with resolve.

"G-Gokudera that's enough, please stop." The firm tone in the boy's voice did not go unheard, gazing sternly at his friend. "I-If you can't respect everyone in the room. T-then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Everything went silent as shock and awe rippled through the crowd as they stared at Tsuna. It was a surprise to see that he was finally putting his foot down when it came to Gokudera. It had been building up over the past few weeks, however, they were surprised at it had come.

"J-Jyuudaime..." Gokudera choked out flinching upon his boss's painful expression.

Tsuna sent him a pleading look. "Please Gokudera..."

"I..."The half-Italian began swallowing thickly understanding that neither of them had wanted this outcome. A few moments of silence had followed as they stared at each other seemingly communicating non-verbally between the other. "I..." burying his hand with his face, Gokudera nodded slowly. "I'll remain, Jyuudaime," sinking back onto the ground winded.

"Only if you show respect to everyone," Tsuna repeated seriously.

"Y-yes, Jyuudaime," the boy stuttered out forcefully, flashing a tiny smile.

Yamamoto seemed to be the only one not fazed by the entire thing, his eyes resting on Gokudera with an unreadable sparkle. He was rather proud at the fact that Tsuna was starting to become more independent, enough to place an ultimatum for Gokudera, there was still the possibility of it happening again. The conversation between him and Tsuna rattled through his mind, causing him to frown.

"I don't get what's going on," Ryohei nearly yelled thrust his fists up. "But still it was EXTREME SAWADA!"

Tsuna sighed fondly, smiling gently. "Big brother..."

"You're finally becoming a man, Sawada," Hana stated smirking wildly. "I'm surprised."

Tsuna's face went red. "W-what!"

"Never mind, it only lasted for that moment I see. A pity," The dark haired girl commented, turning away and rolled her eyes mockingly.

"HEY!"

The rounds of laughter erupted through the room, the weight of tension and conflict quickly dissipated into thin air replaced by the cheerfulness. The smiles upon everyone's face brought joy to Tsuna's heart, happy that everyone was starting to get along.

Seeing the smile on Harry's face and the happy chatter, Tsuna knew that it had been a great day for the younger boy...

"How old are you anyway Harry?"

* * *

><p>Bianchi chuckled, as she used her hip to lightly push herself away from the doorframe. She made her way down the stairs and into the living room where her beloved Reborn was waiting, sipping milk. When she entered he turned towards her and smirked. Her back was pressed to the wall, removing herself carefully before proceeding downstairs in order to join her love in the kitchen.<p>

"Everything is going well," She informed him pulling up a cushion and settling herself on it. "Mama will be pleased."

The Arcobaleno smirked. "Of course she will. We can't allow her to be upset now can we?"

Bianchi agreed fondly, gazing at her beloved. "Any word on... _him?_" The disgusted tone hadn't been lost on Reborn, he was fully aware of whom she was referring to.

"He's still running an analysis in order to develop a training program that is suited for Harry," Reborn answered sipping his drink steadily as his eyes flinted maliciously. "Not that he'll have the chance to utilize it," chuckling sadistically.

The Poison Scorpion smirked. "I'm surprised to see him take an interest in him, especially since Harry is a boy."

"Despite Shamal being a dirty pervert and a skirt chaser, he isn't the type to push away potential." Reborn answered, feeling slightly guilty as the woman's eyes flashed. Bianchi wasn't entirely bitter for the man to have abandoned Gokudera, what she was pissed about was that he didn't even bother to finish his training.

That led to the down spiral of the boy's arrogance and anger getting the better of him, and his distrust all adult figures bar Nana or someone of high respect. It eventually had started to become far more pragmatic than they had wished it to be, Reborn knew that there was still time to repair the damage. If not, then he'd deal with the Smoking Bomb personally.

"What are your plans, my beloved?"

Reborn smirked, tipping the end of his hat. "Why, interested in helping out?"

"Perhaps," The purple haired woman stated smiling; it vanished and was replaced with a worried frown. "I am concerned, my love." Seeing the question look, she continued. "We both are aware of the boy's current conditions, and since you took him as your second student..." She trailed off meaningfully.

The Arcobaleno smiled innocently. "Don't worry I have a plan."

"Care to share?" Bianchi inquired curiously.

Reborn eyed her. "That won't be necessary, Bianchi. Everything has already been set into motion; I've taken care of it."

"I see." Bianchi was clearly not pleased with that decision, however used to the Arcobaleno's style of doing behind the scenes work. "Is there anything that I need to prepare for-"

"There is something I'd like you to check over," Reborn instantly cut her off, gaining her interest. The Arcobaleno looked troubled and uncertain, glancing hesitantly at her. "When I was searching through the British governmental database I couldn't find any records of a 'Harry James Potter' existing."

Bianchi frowned. "A possible kidnapping?"

"It's possible," The infant supported, musing. "There are records of him from kindergarten up to elementary school only to immediately vanish off the face of the earth."

The assassin's frown remained. "You said that there were no records of Harry-"

"In the governmental files," Reborn repeated. "I never said anything about school archives."

Bianchi opened her mouth to say something only to be at a loss. While it wasn't that uncommon for assassins and spies to slip in and out of establishments, they were usually able to be traced by to files from the government. The fact that it seemed to be the near opposite for Harry was cause for concern.

"What should we do?"

Reborn smiled. "Leave it to me."

* * *

><p>The letters from Ron and Hermione had been mostly the same as usually, in fact Hermione was actually in France with her parents. That hadn't really surprised him; usually whenever summer hit Hermione was whisked out of the country, and just always went straight into talking about school and homework. He was dreading returning to Hogwarts with his homework being incomplete Snape would use it as a way to prove how 'arrogant' he was, just like his father had been. Not that he cared anyway. He was happy that she had sent him one of his guilty pleasures, a mystery novel. One of his guilty pleasure was mystery and sci-fi novels, during his elementary years he would trap himself in the library or in the cupboard reading through as many mystery and sci-fi books as he could possibly find.<p>

Harry's current problem; was Ron's letter or rather the Quidditch World cup to be precise. Ron's father was trying to get tickets to the Quidditch Cup, Ireland versus Bulgaria, held around the near end of August. His Quidditch addicted friend sounded very excited in his letter as he eagerly told him about taking him and Hermione if his father was able to get the tickets.

Harry forced himself not to swallow, shakily staring at the letter. This was it... this was exactly what he had been waiting for, a way to get home. The problem was the underlying guilt and temptation that had spurned from within him.

No... it was the selfish desire that had finally emerged.

Yet, Harry found himself torn between needs and desires. Ron, Hermione, Sirius and everyone at Hogwarts were waiting for him back home, while on the other hand he found good friends here in Japan...here where he felt that he actual fit in for a change, and felt free.

But was there an actual choice? Could he really choose between his friends back home and the ones he made here?

Harry wasn't so sure he could make a choice. He knew that he could visit Tsuna and the others any time outside of Hogwarts, but Harry couldn't help but feel guilty for thinking about leaving rather than staying. Glancing up from the letter, Harry gripped the edge of the paper tightly as he thought.

It was stupid for him to feel that way especially since he hadn't known the others as long as he knew Ron and Hermione, yet it was just the way he felt. To say that he understood what he was feeling would have been a complete lie; the one thing Harry could grasp is that whatever choice he made would have dramatic results. Until he could find the will to make a decision Harry took solace in having time at his disposal before he was forced to make a decision.

Sirius's letter provided him with much more relief than Ron's and Hermione's, his godfather had managed to get himself far out of British control, where he was Harry hadn't the foggiest since Sirius eluded to his location. It was for the best, neither of them knew what could happen if someone decided to intercept their mail. Leaving everything ambiguous was the safest alternative. The last letter he had received from the man had been just before he set out to Japan with his relatives, not that Sirius was aware of his current whereabouts. Hedwig must have meet up with Sirius along the way, which would explain why she had delivered it despite the man's use of obscurely large owls.

Not that Harry cared. As long as Sirius was safe that's all that mattered to him.

Placing the letters together on the table Harry glanced around, gently smiling as Tsuna was asleep pressed against the wall with Haru's head slumped onto his shoulders and Ryohei lay on the ground, unconscious. Hana's head was on the table, pleasantly dreaming and the two kids curled up on the brunet boy's bed. Kyoko seemed content with snuggling up against Tsuna on his other side, and Yamamoto had happily snored up against Tsuna's bed with Gokudera sleeping in a similar position as Ryohei.

Hopefully Sawada-san wouldn't mind, especially since Tsuna had class in the morning. But oddly enough, Harry didn't really think she'd mind all that much, her cheerful nature and talkative personality suggested that was overjoyed at having people over.

Feeling fatigue wash over his body and his eyes beginning to close, a long yawn came from his mouth. Blinking tiredly, Harry walked over towards the bed beside Yamamoto and proceeding to fall asleep, all thoughts of the letters left his mind blissfully becoming unaware of the world around him.

The following morning had been utterly chaotic and amusing as Lambo jumped all over the table attempting to steal Ipin's food, provoking the young girl to resort to physical methods in order to prevent the boy from taking her food.

"How's the guy up stairs Sawada-san?" Yamamoto asked upon sitting down at the table, right beside Tsuna as Harry and Hana took the seats on the left side. The tall teen beamed brightly at the food spread on the table, licking his lips as his stomach growled with hunger.

The brunette woman gazed upstairs. "He's still asleep, I do hope that he is alright."

"Don't worry Mama," came the childish and squeaky voice of Reborn. Many eyes focused upon him instinctively as the infant ignored them, smiling flawlessly and innocently. "I'm sure he'll be waking up soon enough." The woman seemed to agree with him, beaming happily as she returned to her cooking. "Speaking of sleeping Dame-"

"His name is Tsuna," Hana surprisingly cut in, glaring at the infant coldly. "Use it."

Tsuna whipped his head. "K-Kurokawa..."

"Kurokawa is right you know, kid. There isn't anything dame about Tsuna," Yamamoto agreed cheerfully, as his smile beamed.

Harry finished his drink, not sparing a glance at Reborn. "If you can't call him by his name, then don't bother."

The friendship between the four had started to become stronger than Reborn had initially anticipated; originally he had planned for Gokudera to be one of the main hands to Tsuna. Not that it was an unwelcomed change, having an intelligent woman by Tsuna's side would provide good foundation for the young teen. It also helped that the girl wasn't the type to back down and had a good head upon her shoulders, differing from Haru and Kyoko, in hindsight having the girl to be integrated into the Vongola could be more beneficial than he had original thought. However, Hana continued to bark against him tooth and nail at every given point so far as her obvious distain towards him could be seen from a mile way.

Either way, Reborn was a patient man. He would wait and see just how the girl aided in Tsuna's development, if she turned out to be a hindrance it was no loss to him. He would allow the CEDEF to deal with her.

Nevertheless Reborn noticed similarities between Hana and Vongola Ottova's Lightning Guardian, both of them were stubborn in their own right and gifted with highly intellect and resourcefulness. He had played with the idea of finding her a proper tutor to begin her training only to later dismiss the thought. No matter how meddlesome the girl turned out to be she was placed in the same boat as Haru and Kyoko, three girls that managed to attach themselves to Tsuna without much effort.

"Tsuna," Reborn decided to his student's given name in order to placate the others. "You woke up early this morning maybe my training has paid off. But you slacked off today; you know what that means don't you?" The infant raised his hand as Leon glowed shifting into a black and green gun. "Run to school with your Dying Will!"

With that he pulled the trigger.

Unfortunately things didn't go quite as planned as Harry quickly leaped out of his seat, pushing Tsuna out of the way of the Dying Will Bullet as it flew straight into the wall. The only good thing about the situation was that Nana didn't notice the scene, while Hana let out a scream and the other two girl's heads snapped around confused.

"What the hell was that?" Hana yelled, whipped her head at the baby. "Why did you try and shoot him?"

Yamamoto laughed. "It's that toy the kid brought!"

"Toy?" Harry asked curiously, glanced back at Reborn as he helped Tsuna off the floor.

The brunet winced, giving a shaky smile. "It's the Dying Will Bullet Reborn uses."

"Dying Will Bullet?" Harry repeated frowning.

"Ah, it unleashes your Dying Will," Reborn spoke up, still holding the Leon gun. "Would you like to unleash your Dying Will?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I'll have to decline, thanks."

"It's fine Harry-kun," Tsuna told the boy calmly, expression defeated as he patted the younger boy's shoulder. "Anyway, we have to leave early. Yamamoto and Onii-san need to change into their uniforms, bye everyone!"

Harry frowned as he watched as the four boys leave, Gokudera rushed after his precious Jyuudaime as the girls stayed behind.

"Idiotic monkey," Hana remarked insufferably.

Harry snorted. "Just idiotic? Try narrow minded and sexist." Yesterday the half-Italian hadn't left a very good impression on him and was annoyed that Tsuna had forgiven the boy so easily.

"He's always like that; don't look into it too much." Hana commented.

"That doesn't make it right." His words were cold as steel recalling how easily Hermione allowed Malfoy to constantly insult her and that no one other himself and Ron stood against it. At times Harry could tell that the Italian boy meant it jest however, that was in the minority as the majority of the time it was used as an insult.

"Your right it doesn't." The girl allowed a cold smile slide upon her face. "But what that stupid monkey doesn't know is that I have the upper hand."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Upper hand?"

"Sorry, it's a secret between us girls." Hana informed too sweetly.

"Forget I asked," Harry responded dryly.

The girl folded her arms. "Good to know that you're trained."

"So what should we do now?" Kyoko spoke out loud, thoughtfully looking back at Nana and the kids.

Haru beamed. "Let's take Harry out on the town!"

"Yes that seems like the best decision," Bianchi agreed from the table, smiling widely.

Glancing over towards the table Harry noted that the infant had disappeared. "Where did Reborn go?"

"Probably went after Tsuna-san and the others," Haru chirped energetically.

_'Which means he's probably going to go cause some mischief,' _Harry thought to himself, resisting the urge to grip his temple. "Should we really leave the house though, what about the guy upstairs?"

Nana smiled reassuringly. "I'll look after him, but if you want to go and check him you can Harry-kun."

Harry was concerned about him and didn't want to leave him unattended despite Sawada-san being home, just making sure that the guy was at least well would hopefully put his mind at ease. And, if the man still was not awake it would be something instead of nothing.

"Go on," Nana spoke up interrupting his train of thought. Smiling ever so pleasantly at them, Nana bent down to his level. "You should see more of Japan before you go back home, right? Besides, this will give me a chance to get some cleaning done." Her eyes softened reassuringly, as she placed her hands upon his shoulders. "Don't worry about him. I'll make sure to take good care of him, Harry-kun. Trust in me, alright?" Her smile turned radiant, bordering hypnotic.

His head moved on its own accordingly, nodded slowly.

"That's great!" The woman clapped her hands together, repositioning herself and span gracefully.

Taking advantage of the stunned state Harry was in, the girls gently guided him towards the door Nana continued to smile and wandered straight over to the telephone, dialing quickly. A cheerfully giggle escaped her lips.

Oh won't everyone be surprised?

* * *

><p>Pushing roughly through the gigantic crowds, Gokudera ignored the angry and frightened looks that were sent to him. It didn't bother him, being used to them growing up from various members of his father's famiglia. Frankly, he didn't give a rat's ass as to what other people thought about him; they didn't know him. They had no right to judge him; the only person that was allowed was Jyuudaime and Jyuudaime alone. Well, and probably Reborn as well. No one else other than them, they didn't have the right.<p>

And right now, Jyuudaime wasn't entirely happy with him thus he had given Jyuudaime some time alone. Especially because of last night and how he had reacted towards the brunette bitch and on a lesser note, the brat.

His hand dug deep into his pocket, gripping the cigarette pack causing it to dent. His angry eyes flashed as the image of the boy that had taken _his_Jyuudaime's attention away appeared.

Banishing the image, he continued to trudged quicker. It was utterly presumptuous to even think that Jyuudaime could ever be claimed as 'his'. That was not how it worked. He was Jyuudaime's, not the other way around. He was only an insignificant insect despite Jyuudaime telling him he wasn't that was he an important and a friend, but Jyuudaime was nice and thought everyone was important, blessing them with his kindness. It had been the main reason his loyalty was to Jyuudaime.

As long as he could continue to fight along by Jyuudaime's side, that was enough.

Entering the door towards his apartment, dragging his feet to his room stumbling through his pockets again to find his keys, his mind focused upon that brat from England. That pathetic weakling managed to gain far too much of Jyuudaime's time lately, plus the great Reborn had taken that brat under his weak with Jyuudaime. Which meant that brat would spend even more time with Jyuudaime!

Gritting his teeth angrily, slamming the door in his wake. Exactly just what good would that skinny brat be?

Pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself and strode over towards the kitchen. His current abode was small and rather cramped, but that suited him just fine. Still, he did not know why Reborn wanted the brat! What did the brat like that he was unable to see?

Fumbling onto the couch and turned out the television on, the blinding flash engulfing the entire room. His eyes focused on the news; blabbering about some school called Kokuyo Middle or something like that. Some violent outbursts and what not, of course he didn't care as long as they didn't bright the fight to Jyuudaime.

Not that they would get that far anyhow; he would protect Jyuudaime from everything. Granted it would be nice to have some backup or at least let Jyuudaime be able to get away. That's probably what the baseball freak and the brat were for, mere backs ups to protect Jyuudaime if he was too busy to protect him.

It was a ridiculous thought, Gokudera told himself. There was no way a kid like that would survive that long. He looked to frail and weak to be a fighter, let alone last on the field.

_'Then why did Reborn choose him?'_ His mind whispered, stabbing holes into his argument and treacherously filling his minds with doubts. _'Why is Jyuudaime spending so much time with him?'_

Trying to find answer only to come up with nothing, a mocking laughter surfaced from his darker days back when he was in Italia. Laughter and bantering did not exist, only missions and assassinations, striving to prove himself to the bosses only to come up fruitless and tossed aside.

It was going to be the same all over again. He was... unneeded.

_'You were stupid to believe otherwise,'_His mind added, replaying countless words drilled in derisive dismissal overlaying his own.

Viciously turning the TV off, abruptly standing him glaring hatefully at the screen. His breathing heavy.

He was better than some stupid kid, damn it! He was better than all of them! Stomping out of the living room back into his own room.

The only thing that matter was that Jyuudaime accepted him unconditionally. He was going to prove to him that his trust was not misplaced! No kid, no baseball freak and no bitch were going to ever disrupt that.

Ever.

* * *

><p>chapter 8 end.<p>

Seems like Harry's luck has struck again, but how much longer will it last? *Coughforeshadowingcough* I apologize for the short chapter, but I feel that ending the chapter here fit. The next one will be much longer than this, that I promise.

As for those whom are wondering and have concerns of Hedwig's..._speed_at finding Harry, that will be answered in the side-fic: The Lost Pages, which will be uploading soon.

Until next time!

Make sure to leave constructive criticism!


	9. Party!

Chapter 9: Party!

The walk from school had been refreshing and silent. Yamamoto was rather worried for Tsuna, as the brunet had not said a thing after the previous night, deep in thought responding quietly. Yesterday had been an eye opener for all of them, he had suspected and knew that several things about their newest friend hadn't added up and that he had kept things from them. It was understandable as he had only just met them, thus not having any reason to spill everything on them. However, the taller teen already knew that his smaller friend was thinking about Harry's situation all day, completely worried out of his mind.

It was times like these that Yamamoto couldn't help but feel completely helpless. Only listening rather than being proactive, he hated it. There was nothing he could do! Gripping his hand into a fist his cheerful facade remained in place if only to reassure Tsuna of his presence.

Class had thankfully had gone well without much of a problem due to the absence of Nezu Dohachiro, the science teacher, having been called away. For that he was rather happy as the man seemed to have an out for Tsuna, and with what had happened, the man would have used his friend's current quietness against him in an attempt to belittle. In fact, Yamamoto had noticed that many of the teachers in the school held the same type of opinion of his friend as the rest of the student body; No good and worthless. And it _hurt. _

It hurt so much.

He couldn't understand just how Tsuna was able to deal with all the insults being slung at him from left and right, blamed for things that was not his fault and dismissed without a second thought and care. The cruelty of teens had not been lost on him, as Yamamoto had come across many gruff and arrogant types during his baseball both on his team and from other teams. It wasn't right. Yet no one ever did anything about it at all, at least for his friend anyway. He would bet his lucky bat that if the title of 'Star player' hadn't been attached to his name no one would help him either.

Yamamoto would have thought that Sawada-san would have eventually gone to the school board to get help and fight against the bullying that preyed on Tsuna.

'_Unless_,' His eyebrows furrowed darkly. _'She _has _complained. And it was silenced._' It sounded outrageous and nearly illogical by normal standards, but when his friend was concerned normality was thrown out the window. _'The question is why? How would bullying Tsuna bring benefit to anyone? It doesn't make sense.' _Many thoughts circled around his head as none of them seemed to work, deciding to talk it over with Kurokawa and his father once the chance presented it's self. Noticing the pair of caramel eyes focused up at him in concern, a grin quickly spread across his face. "What's wrong Tsuna?"

The boy flushed. "O-oh um... nothing," His tone had become quite and low subverting his head towards, shyly looking at him as he seemed to be debating with himself. "Y-Yamamoto?"

"Hm?" He hymned curiously at his friend, and inclined his head.

Tsuna bit his lip, shaking his head abruptly. "What do you think we should do for Harry's birthday?"

"Isn't it obvious?" His grin stretched across his face revealing the perfect white teeth that shined brightly underneath the rays of the sun. "We're going to throw him a birthday party! I'm sure oyaji won't mind if we do it at the restaurant."

"Are you sure that's okay? I-I mean," The brunet boy stumbled over his meaning, frantically trying to explain. "Wouldn't that be bad for business?"

Yamamoto placed a hand upon Tsuna's shoulders and gripped it reassuringly. "It's fine Tsuna. My oyaji loves throwing parties anyway; it's like his past time. Besides," His gazed softened considerably at the short teen. "We might be able to figure out somehow to help Harry."

"A-alright," The brunet agreed hesitantly, a small smile slide on his lips.

He draped an arm over Tsuna's shoulder, grinning. "Trust me Tsuna! It will be no problem at all!"

"If you say so," Came the weak response as the smile remained on the other boy's face.

The taller teen sighed briefly. His friend's confidence still needed to be worked on, despite how much he had grown over the past few weeks as Tsuna had managed to stand up to Reborn, but Gokudera as well. He had been rather surprised, like everyone else had. However, Yamamoto was pleased to see that his friend was slowly becoming comfortable and certain with himself no matter how timid the response, it was evidence that the other was growing up. Slowly, but still growing and that was fine with him. He wouldn't push the smaller boy.

Together the two entered the restaurant and took the middle seats, and dropped their bags onto the ground.

"Takeshi, you home?" A man wearing a white chef's uniform with a white band around his forehead appeared from the backside of the table, an older version of Takeshi. His eyes danced delightfully and wore a warm welcoming smile, his eyebrow perked at his son's companion. "Oh! Tsuna, you're here as well!"

The teen grinned. "Hey oyaji!"

"Afternoon Yamamoto-san!" Tsuna greeted politely.

The chef strolled over to them. "School went well?"

"You can say that," Yamamoto beamed truthfully at his father. After a moment of silence he went in for the kill. "Hey oyaji?"

The older man responded. "What is it Takeshi?"

"Can we have a party in the Restaurant?"

Tsuna almost jumped out of his seat. '_Isn't that being a bit too blunt?!'_

"A party?" The man mused stroking his chin and frowned, his amber eyes focused on his son and friend appeared thoughtful of the idea. "What's the occasion?"

His son smiled brightly. "He turned fourteen the other day, but none of us found out until last night. So it would be alright?"

"I don't see why not," Tsuyoshi answered with a grin on his face and rubbed his hands together. "When should the party be around?"

Tsuna stared and watched as the two began immersing themselves into preparing for the party and what they needed for the night to be a success. It amazed him to see how close the two appeared to me almost in complete unison with one another, it almost felt foreign to him. Perfect families didn't exist. He knew that well, but just seeing the happy faces on both of the Yamamoto's faces was enough to have him consider the concept of a happy family.

His relationship with his mother was alright. Not perfect and not bad, somewhere in between and that worked for them.

"Oi," A female voice captured their attention from the door way as they saw Hana standing there with her trademark blank expression and cat like smile. "I was wondering where you two went off," heading towards the door she paused upon seeing Yamamoto's father and bowed. "Hello Yamamoto-san, my name is Kurokawa Hana. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her expression masked into a beautiful and radiant smile gazing up at the man.

'_Just how does she do that?!' _Tsuna nearly screamed mentally.

The man grinned and bowed back. "It's a good to meet you as well, Kurokawa-san. Please take a seat," removing himself from his and gesturing towards it as the young girl thanked up before proceeding to take it. "I'll leave the three of you to yourselves. If you need anything I will be in the back," waving at them before vanishing into the back room without a moment's hesitation.

"You went looking for us?" Yamamoto asked once his father had given them room.

The girl nodded, and waved her hand dismissively. "Kyoko and Haru thought it would be a good idea to hang out after your classes were done, but when we couldn't find you I made a detour to the restaurant. Seems like my instincts were right," She grinned viciously.

"Definitely!" Yamamoto let out a cheerful laugh and grinned widely. "We were just talking with my dad about having the party here, he agreed!" He informed the girl rather excitedly. "We'll probably have it around six or so, until then do you mind texting Sasagawa-chan and Haru to try and keep Harry busy?" It would ruin the entire surprise if they had come to the restrauant too early and found out about the party. He wanted to make sure that Harry had an excellent birthday party. However, his energetic expression faded upon the silent posture that the girl had taken on. "Kurokawa?"

Tsuna looked at the girl. "A-are you okay-"

"You both noticed." She stated in a calm and quiet tone, her eyes shimmered with worry and seriousness. "I know you did-we all noticed it." A low sigh escaped her lips as she fiddled with her fingers upon the table as all that had been received as silence. "The kid hasn't had the best childhoods, the lack of parents-"

"The words from the other day," Yamamoto continued seeing where the girl was going.

The brunet gazed down. "A-and his reluctance at being touched," His cheeks flushed upon the gazes he received from the two and held up his hands defensively. "I-I'm not that oblivious, b-but I think it's a bit more complicated than what we are thinking."

"You may have a point there Sawada." The girl agreed with a small smile which faded quickly as it had appeared. "The thing is what can _we_do?"

Yamamoto stared at her, his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Obviously the infant doesn't give a rat's ass! Hell I'm willing to bet that he _knows_exactly what's going on with Harry but chooses not to do anything," Hana continued somewhat angrily, slamming her fist onto the table. Brown eyes shined with anger. "And if he doesn't do something about it, I say we should."

"...Wow," The baseball player stated blinking rapidly at her. "This is the first time I've heard you speak so passionately about something Kurokawa-san."

The girl shot him a glare. "I can be passionate about something if it's serious. And besides," She folded her arms up against the chest and stared at the two. "He's being abused." The words from last night as Harry had described about power and those that used it had helped connect several thoughts in her head.

"We don't know that though," Tsuna interjected as the girl's eyes shot at him coldly. "J-Just listen for a moment. Yes, I know that there are things that Harry is hiding from and not telling us. He has the right, he hasn't known us all for very long and we can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do." Hana opened her mouth to protest only to stop as he cut her off. "What we _can_do is be there for him and talk with him. Jumping and making conclusion is only going to isolate him from us."

Hana stared at him for several moments, her jaw nearly dropped. "S-Sawada you... actually thought a lot about this haven't you?"

"W-well," The brunet's face burned at the compliment and grinned a bit feeling pride swell up inside of him. "I kinda get Harry's position, I guess."

The baseball player stroked his chin. "Tsuna has a point. We can't force Harry to do something, unless he tells us directly."

"Who knows how long that would take?" Hana remarked with a snort. "You men are so stubborn believing that you can take on the world without a problem and help. When in reality, you need it. All of you share it, don't deny it!" She glared at the two as they were about to protest. "I know you both hate asking for help, right?"

Tsuna flushed. "I-I..." Damn. She was right.

"I guess it's true!" Yamamoto stated with a laugh after thinking about his, his amber eyes remained as slits. "But isn't that the same for girls as well?"

The dark haired girl snorted and ran her hand through the locks. "No. It's a guy thing," She stated airily, but her smile gave away the humor in her words causing the two males to snort. "So what do we do in the mean time? I can't see you two sitting down and not doing anything about it."

"She knows us well, eh Tsuna?"

The brunet boy grinned a bit. "Y-yeah..."

"The three of us grow up with each other, so I know you pretty well." Hana said with a smirk on her face, leaning forward. "So don't think you can try and pull a fast one over me, got it?"

Yamamoto tilted his head. "Of course not!"

"Good," The girl stated, with a nod.

"Should we get Harry something?" Tsuna piped up curiously thinking over it. "W-we have the time right?"

"Yeah! That sounds like a good idea!" Yamamoto cheered happily at the prospect. "What about you Kurokawa-san?"

The girl's lips curled. "Do you even know what he'd even like?"

"Errr...ummm..." Tsuna began thinking over the question. "I-I think Harry might like something practical?" His shoulders slumped at the lameness of his answered. "I don't really know, but it feels that he needs something that he can use instead of something he'd want."

Hana blinked. "Something he can use, huh?"

"Like a backpack!" Yamamoto added grinning.

"Or clothes," Hana said flatly and shook her head. "He's been wearing the same things for weeks now."

The taller teen stopped at her words and went over it in his mind. "Has he? I haven't noticed."

"Now that you mention it," Tsuna murmured under his breath, going over his memories. "Harry really hasn't changed into anything other then what he already had with him."

"Maybe he uses the hotel washing and drying machines!" The baseball player suggested, the thought made sense in his mind.

Hana remained quiet not saying a word pushing herself away from the table, a gleam flashed through her eyes looking rather troubled. It had been strange that Harry didn't changed into anything else other then what she had seen him wear when they had first met and the clothing provided to him her. Not thinking much of it until now, another dot seemed to link up only it hadn't make much sense to her and it hadn't entirely added up from what she was able to see in her mind.

From her perspective abandoning Harry wouldn't have benefited anything as she realized that his parents or whoever was in charge of looking after Harry most likely didn't care what happened to him, and ditching Harry allowed the person in question to relinquish any and all responsibility. Since the kid didn't speak the language, previously anyhow, getting someone to help him and explain what happened was fruitless. Eventually, Harry could have died and those that cared about him wouldn't know about it. Sure, the authorities might question what happened but Hana doubted that they'd be able to do anything at all.

The person that did this to Harry must have had a solid plan otherwise what was the point of doing it if there was a chance of being caught?

That also explained the kid's quietness and reluctance to ask for help. The girl suppressed back a frustrated groan and rubbed her temple. '_Idiotic male pride!' _Why was it that all the males that surrounded her suffered from that syndrome? It almost made it unbearable to be around them!

Sure. She would admit that sometimes being rescued by a manly man like in the films was one of her weaknesses. However, that did not mean Hana tolerated true manly reckless and moronic attempts to prove ones manliness and constantly rescue the girl. Women were just as capable fighters as men were-maybe even better, despite that whenever she saw the monkeys in her class do something stupid it made her cringe and question how stupid the opposite gender was.

Which made Hana really glad that she was girl. Sometimes.

"Kurokawa-san?" Tsuna's voice brought her back to reality as the small boy looked at her with worry brimming in the pair of caramel eyes.

"I'm fine," She answered dismissively.

Tsuna's expression held disbelief in her claim, but did not comment. "A-anyway, Yamamoto and I decided that, leaving now and quickly grabbing a present would be a good idea. S-since we'll make it back in time before the others arrive and still be able to help Yamamoto-san decorate the restaurant."

"Is your father alright with that?" Hana asked doubtful, feeling rather bad at leaving the man by himself and doing some of the work alone.

Yamamoto grinned. "Don't worry! It will give him something else to do."

"Is your dad still in the back?" Tsuna asked, head whipping around looking for his friend's father and noticed that he hadn't returned.

"Yep!" The taller teen announced cheerfully. "He won't mind, let's get going!" Turning towards where back he let out a loud holler. "Oyaji! We're heading out to grab presents, we'll be back in a few to help you decorate!"

A few moments of silence came after as the three stood at the doorway waiting for a response of sorts, nothing came and shrugged.

"ALRIGHT!" The man's voice came bellowing out of the back room, loudly and took the three off guard causing them to jump into the air in surprise. "JUST MAKE SURE TO GET BACK SOON! YOU HEAR?"

Yamamoto grinned. "Of course Oyaji! We'll be back, let's go guys!"

"Right, bye Yamamoto-san!" Tsuna bowed at the door as did Hana before departing with his friends to the store.

No sound came back room as Yamamoto-san popped out his head, watching as the door slide shut. His lips twitched before ducking back into the room, and picked up the phone that laid upon the countertop. Sliding up his back against the railing with the metal object pressed against his ear as he breathed into it.

"They left already, Sawada-san." He informed the woman on the other line, smiling shifting his body into a more comfortable position. "Don't worry, they'll be back before long."

The woman on the other end let out a relieved sigh. "_That's good to hear. I'm sorry about all of this, Y..." _The words fell on her lips and went quiet. "_I mean, Tsuyoshi._"

"Don't worry about it... Nana," The man replied reassuringly at the woman. "What time do you think you'll be here for?"

The brunette woman thought. _"I should be there soon. Is it alright if I bring a few people?"_

"Of course... as long as Bianchi keeps her cooking out of my restaurant," The sushi chef joked with a grin on his face. It spread even wider upon hearing the giggling amusement from the phone, he was glad to hear the woman sound happy for a change. Sawada Nana and himself had meet several times in the past when their kids had been growing up, sometimes even spending time with one another outside of their children's class as they had many things in common. Such as missing spouses. His eyes darkened at that and pushed his memories away. "So I'll see you soon then."

"_Of course!_" Nana answered cheerfully with another giggle. "I'll see you then, bye-"

The man gripped the phone and blurted out. "Wait!"

The woman paused, placing the phone up against her ear. "What is it Tsuyoshi?"

"I..." The words seemed to fall from his lips, gritting his teeth in frustration letting a sigh escape through. "Never mind, Nana. Sorry, I'll talk to you later."

The woman didn't respond immediately. "Alright Tsuyoshi, we'll talk at the party. Take care."

_Click!_

Tsuyoshi felt the energy in his arms leave him as they fell to his sides swinging in tandem promptly parking his behind onto the floor. His hand released the object allowing it to hang above him and buried his hands straight into his face, closing his eyes painfully at his own stupidity.

"I'm pathetic."

* * *

><p>On Nana's end she carefully hung upon the phone, her fingers remained wrapped around the object seemingly unwilling to part with it. The feeling she felt was shook with ease, releasing the phone from her grip and wiping her hands upon her apron her gaze fell towards the food that Bianchi helped her make. Nana had been very grateful for the younger woman's help, while she could have done it alone, it was much better when cooking with someone else. They had just finished putting it through the oven and needed time to cool off before coating the cake with frosting which they had tons off in the cabinet. As it had been a rather long time since she had done some baking for a party.<p>

Her heart sunk and was rather overwhelmed with guilt as around the time Reborn had come around, the infant had managed to usurp her's and Tsuna's special day as Reborn's birthday had fallen around the same time Tsuna's head and being a good host she didn't want to appear rude! It just wasn't her style.

Nana was aware that there was more to Reborn. But, it wasn't her business thus there was no reason for her to pry into it. When Reborn and the others wanted to come clean with their pasts and tell her, the choice was up to them. She didn't see the point in prying into other people's pasts when it had nothing to do with her in the first place! And Nana knew that Reborn and Bianchi both meant well for Tsuna, but had their own way of showing it and that they were preparing him for the future.

Whatever future that would be.

What Nana knew for a fact was that it somehow related to her husband. Iemitsu.

The name of her husband was like a double-edge bringing thoughts of yearning for the man that had vanished for several years of her's and Tsuna's life and mixed feelings of hurt and betrayal. Nana loved her husband with every fibre of her being and would always stand beside him, no matter how strange the man was. Iemitsu had been the man she married, the vows that they had exchanged all those years ago were as strong and meaningful as they were today.

Unfortunately, Nana felt unable to deny the growing pain that was carved deeply into her heart. Constantly telling herself that Iemitsu would phone her and would indulge in meaningful romantic chatter, return home and sweep her off her feet just as he had done when they had first meet. She caressed the wedding band upon her finger, staring in sorrowful lovingness.

"Mama?"

Nana quickly placed on her cheerful facade. "Yes?" Bianchi was standing holding Lambo and Ipin in her arms. "Is something wrong?"

"I received a text from Kurokawa and the others. We're planning on grabbing some gifts for Harry, will you be alright here on your own?" The long haired woman asked her, eyes flashing with concern. Bianchi personally didn't want to leave Nana alone, in case something happened. And if it did, she was certain that Tsuna and the others would never forgive her. Even she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"I'll be fine!" Nana waved her hand, her smiling was radiant. "I need to go and check upon out guest anyway, so why don't you three go straight from getting the presents to Takesushi? I'm sure Yam...I mean, Tsuyoshi would appreciate all the help he can get."

"Mama bring food?" Ipin asked, in her broken Japanese.

The women smiled cheerfully. "Don't worry, I'm strong! I can carry it all by myself."

"Mama is the strongest!" Lambo declared happily followed by his obnoxious laughter.

Bianchi nodded, and gave a small smile. "We'll see you at the party then Mama."

"Have fun!" Nana cried waving as the three of them let the house, the sound of the door closing rang through her ears, heading upstairs to check upon the guest. Upon arriving she carefully, quietly moved the handle stepping into the darkened room. The man was still laying asleep on the bed, looking tranquil and peaceful. '_Poor thing,_' She thought making her way into the room quietly as possible, the hot bowl sat at the table with the rag, grabbing the tray by the ends before sitting beside the man placing the hot cloth upon his forehead.

The man let out a painful hiss, his chest escalated upwards before lowering down again. His breath was constant and the coloring of his skin was returning to normal, appearing healthier as the bruise looked like it was starting to go away.

She was rather curious as to how he had gotten it, but ignored it.

"Uh..." The pair of eyes struggled to open and flinched as the lightening in the room. "W-where am I?"

"You're in my house," Nana answered without missing a beat, giggling as the man shot up and looked rapidly around the room in confusion and awe. "My son and his friends find you outside, unconscious and brought you back here." Her eyes held a gentle gaze. "You had us worried."

The man stared and slowly, his cheeks turned red. "W-worried?!"

"Yes," She confirmed softly. "Worried," Tsuna and his friends had absolutely no idea what to do upon finding this man only that they had to get him inside where she had taken care of the rest. They had been rather lucky that the man had recovered so quickly and that the wound was healing normally. The only thing left to check was the man's memory, regardless of whether the man having amnesia or not she would still continue to look after him.

"W...why?" The confusion in the man's tone and eyes nearly broke her heart.

Nana closed her eyes briefly, her warm smile remained on her face leaning forward and placing a hand upon the man's shoulder. "Because, they could tell that you are a good person and that you needed help. My son and his friends aren't the type to leave people when they need help the most."

"I-I see..." The man's head sharply turned away from and his face went red, a tiny grin of embarrassment slipped on his face. "W-where is it that I can find your son and his friends? I-I'd like to give them my thanks, Mrs..."

"Sawada. Sawada Nana," She introduced herself politely. "But please, call me Mama. Everyone else does," She flashed a victory sign and giggled.

The man blinked. "M-Mama?"

"Yes?" Nana answered, teasingly.

"K-Kikyo..."

She titled her head in confusion. "Kikyo?"

"My name," The man murmured under his breath. "It's Kikyo."

Nana beamed. "That's a very good name, especially for a handsome man like yourself."

"I-I'm not really handsome. Just average," The man denied with a firm shake of his head.

"Does it matter what you look like?" Nana questioned sincerely, her soft smile remained on her face. "It seems to me what matters most is what's here," She pressed a finger on Kikyo's heart. "And what's up here," Moving it up to his head. "You are a very polite and kind person, Kikyo. And that's all that is important."

The male flushed. "T-thank you, N...Mama," He corrected instantly. The word seemed too foreign for his mouth yet sounded right at the same time, at least with her.

"Now then," Nana clapped her hands together. "My son and his friends are at a party, but we need to get you fixed up first. Maybe you can borrow some of my husband's clothing, though." She frowned, eyeing Kikyo uncertainly. "They might be a bit too big for you, and Tsuna's would definitely be far too small-is there something wrong?"

"A-are you sure I should come?" The male shifted uncomfortably."I don't know any of them."

Nana giggled. "So? Now's your best chance to get to know them! Besides the more the merrier!"

"Alright," Kikyo agreed flushing, scratching his head. "I'll go."

"I'm glad to hear that Kikyo," Nana informed him truthfully, her eyes flickered towards the bruise for several moments. "Wait right here, I'll be back in just a moment." As she left the seat and headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a band aid from the first aid kit before returning and placing it on the wound. "There we go!"

The long haired male blinked. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome," She returned with a smile. "How about we get you something to wear, I'm sure sleeping in that suit of yours must have been rather hot."

Kikyo's lips twitched at the comment and chuckled. "They were actually, why didn't you?" He waved his hands to get across his meaning. "You know?"

"For one, you're rather heavy and me being a female I wouldn't be able to lift you," Nana explained as the man nodded in acceptance to that. "And secondly, that's a bit..." She paused trying to come up with a word to use. "I didn't think removing your clothing would have been the best option."

"I see, it makes sense," The man murmured.

The brunette woman nodded happily. "Since we got that over and out of the way," She held out her hand towards the man, smiling. "Let's try to see if we can find something that you can fit into. Iemitsu won't mind," Nana reassured him.

Kikyo stared at the hand and then back at the woman, seeing the choice before and swallowed thickly. Gathering the courage deep inside of him, his arm extended and grasped the woman's hand staring determinedly up at her.

His choice had been made.

* * *

><p>"Look at all these cakes Kyoko-chan, they're already half off!"<p>

Kyoko smiled bemused at her friend's reaction, watching as Haru pressed up against the screen and grinned up at her. One of the many things that the two shared in common was their love and glutton of cakes, especially the ones from downtown.

"We'll be having cake later Haru," She giggled at the brunette girl's pout, beaming brightly at her. "Don't worry I'm sure that there will be tons for us to eat!"

Haru nodded thrusting her fists into the air. "That's right! And knowing Tsuna-san's mother, it will be delicious!"

"I know, right?" Kyoko said happily, her hands entwined. "Sawada-san cooks the best meals!"

"I'm jealous of her cooking and baking skills!" Haru exclaimed, cheerfully. "She's even better then Bianchi-chan!"

Kyoko nodded in agreement, as she turned towards their other companion. "What about you Harry-kun, do you cook or bake at all?"

"A-a little bit," The younger boy stuttered out with a grin on his face, coming off as nervous. "I don't really do much as I use to now a days." As the Dursleys hadn't made him cook since he had started Hogwarts in fear that he might curse them someday.

"That's a shame, I'd really like to try your cooking," Kyoko said, looking rather sad at first before brightening up at the prospect. "It's bound to be delicious!"

Harry blinked slowly. "What makes you think that?"

"Kyoko's a glutton, she'll eat _anything_!" Haru answered giggling as her friend's face went red and glared at her.

"H-Haru!"

The brunette girl continued to grin. "What? It's the truth!"

"Y-you didn't need to say it out loud!" Kyoko retorted blushing madly, looking around finicky.

Eventually the two girl's began to giggle over nothing and chatted away as Harry tagged behind them, looking around at the buildings and places that they had gone to. It wasn't entirely bad, but he wished that they could have gone and done something else. Though, outside of magic and Qudditich Harry really wasn't sure what exactly he liked. Reading normal fictional novels was a pass time of his allowing an escape from the reality around him.

Harry knew that he liked spending time with Tsuna and the others, feeling as if he was actually a part of the group instead of an outsider now. He also had enjoyed the shooting game that Takeshi, Hana, Tsuna and himself had participated in several days ago.

"Harry-kun where do you want to go next?" Haru asked him curiously, the hyper tone in her voice wasn't lost on him. "I feel kinda bad we've been dragging you to places that we want to go."

Harry shook his head. "It's fine Haru, I... don't really know what to do anyway."

"You don't?" Kyoko asked curiously.

"Birthdays weren't always something special to celebrate," Harry stated slowly, figuring out a way to explain it without revealing too much information. "Usually something came up that needed to be attended to," which was him doing all the yard work for the day or Dobby stealing his letters during the second year. The true and only good birthday he could recall having was during third year receiving letters and gifts from his friends like any normal kid his age.

Kyoko nodded her eyes troubled. "I see."

"Don't worry this year your birthday will be awesome!" Haru yelled pointing upwards, and striking a pose.

"H...Haru..."

Harry stared and wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Are you sure there isn't any place that you want to check out Harry-kun?" Kyoko asked politely.

"I'm not sure," He murmured under his breath and thought about it long and hard, trying to think of a place he wanted to go and see. "What about a bookstore?"

Kyoko and Haru looked at each other. "A bookstore?"

"My friend of mine, Hermione, really loves to read. So I thought I should pick something up for her," Harry state sheepishly. "I remember when we first started school together, she tried to read the entire library within the first year!" He laughed full heartedly at the memory. "She's cooled off since then, I think it might have been Ron's and my influence."

"Hermione, Ron," Kyoko repeated the names slowly and smiled. "They sound like very interesting people!"

His lips twitched fondly. "Yeah," He stated with a faint smile. "They are."

"Tell us more about them!" Haru prompted the boy, listening in closely.

Harry was taken aback by her words but continued nonetheless. "Hermione is very intelligent, as I said, she's always buried deep into her books. I don't doubt she's one of the smartest people of our generation," Which was true in his opinion. "I met Ron on the train to school, he's kinda loud, but his heart is in a good place. He's one hell of a chess player too. He's also the youngest boy and has a younger sister named Ginny; there are seven of them in total."

"Seven!" The brunette girl exclaimed in shock and awe.

Kyoko's eyes were wide staring. "That's amazing, how do they all live together?"

"As far as I know Ron's eldest brothers Charlie and Bill have moved out and live on their own, Bill's somewhere in Egypt and Charlie is in Romania. Percy just graduated so I assume he's still at home same with the twins; Fred and George-don't eat anything they give you," Harry warned them seriously. "They're pranksters!"

Haru grimaced. "Oh _great_, just what we need!"

"Not found of pranksters?" Harry teased the girl.

"Not really," The brunette girl answered shrugging her shoulders. "I don't mind fun and games and all, but pranks can go too far sometimes."

Harry's body shifted gazing at the girl with concern. "You sound like you've had some experience," the way her body language and expression came off it seemed as if Haru had to deal with her own set of bullies. He could sympathize with that, some of Fred and George's pranks weren't really that funny and came off as cruel instead. Not that he voiced those thoughts.

"Nope!" The girl said cheerfully. "The other girls know better then to try with me!" Her hand tightened to a fist as a strained smile slide upon her face. "I don't like bullies."

"Neither do I," Harry agreed with her fervently, after dealing with Dudley and his gang for years then later on at Hogwarts Malfoy and his cronies he was getting sick of them. Unfortunately, back at school no one was willing to stand up for each other and fight against it as Snape had made any complaints about Malfoy and anyone in Slytherin House, the other Heads and teachers did do much either and ignored most of the bullying that went on in the school anyway.

Not all of the problems came directly from Slytherin House, as most of it mainly came from Malfoy and his group with the help of Snape on a level. That didn't mean the other Houses were entirely innocent either, the Ravenclaws were rather snotty and rude towards those that didn't hold the same believes that they had as the Hufflepuffs kept to themselves and were quick to judge others without proof. Now Gryffindors, they had a tendency to reaction without thinking resulting in losing points and winding up in detention, another problem that Harry was shamed and guilty to admit doing; being distrustful of a person that came from Slytherin.

It was stupid and completely moronic thing to do. His experience with the house of serpents had been less than pleasant, plus a large portion of them had followed Voldemort unquestioningly and had a reason enough to hate Harry and wish him harm.

Not that he'd let them.

"Let's go and check out the bookstore!" Haru declared grabbing onto Harry's arm, smiling up at him not noticing how he tensed up at her touch.

His face turned away from her. "L... let's go." Being the polite person that he was, Harry allowed the girl to hang onto his arm as the three went to the nearest bookstore in the area and began to search the merchandise that were on the shelves. The place was modern looking compared to Flourish and Blotts back in Diagon Alley, as the place seemed stuck in the medivel ages, Harry couldn't really comment on it. His eyes scanned the rows looking that Hermione might like.

Books weren't his thing, unless it involved studying or for pleasure he'd rather not do it. And since Harry was not a materialistic person, it was the least he could for her after the previous two years. For Ron on the other hand, he wasn't entirely sure what his friend would like.

From the far side of the room Kyoko watched him with a soft expression as a wave of relief washed over her. She had been rather worried that the younger boy would still have trouble fitting into the group, as he had joined them rather abruptly, and after the fallout between Reborn and Harry, Kyoko wasn't sure if he would return. But she was glad to see that he had. Harry seemed much freer than he had been, and looked like he was enjoying himself as well.

Like the others she had been caught off guard at learning that it had been Harry's birthday, feeling sorrow creep inside her when seeing the way Harry had held the gifts that he received from his friends. Kyoko smiled softly and giggled.

_'Harry's going to be surprised!'_She thought to herself happily.

Haru and herself had received a text message from the others about the location and time for the party. The two decided to take turns slipping out of Harry's view just to grab him a little something for the night, she watched carefully as her friend sent her a thumbs up and grin before sneaking out the door quietly as possible. Upon Haru making a slip out of the door her eyes flickered back towards Harry, and noticed as a girl with red hair, a bit older then herself walk up towards and begin chatting with him.

Harry responded quiet animatedly, showing some familiarity with the girl. With her curiosity spiked and went over towards them.

"Is she a friend of yours Harry-kun?" Kyoko asked as she reached an appropriate distance, just so she would not interrupt the conversation that they were immense it.

He opened his mouth to answer only for the girl to beat him to the punch. "Ohh?" An amused smile crept on the girl's face and glanced at Harry slyly. "Is she your girlfriend? I didn't realize that you were the type that went for the older crowd!"

The reaction was hilarious was Kyoko and Harry's turned utterly red at the accusation and began to vehemently deny the claim, stating that neither of them were even remotely interested and that she had the completely wrong idea. Needlessly to say, the girl in question sat back figuratively and continued to enjoy the entertainment that was playing out in front of her. She only wished that there could have been popcorn or something to make it complete.

The girl stroked her chin, titled her head a bit with a Cheshire cat smile. "I don't know, you two look like you'd be a good couple!"

"MM!" Harry remarked, his face still red and burning brightly as he shot the girl a death glare.

"I was just kidding munchkin," The girl, now known as MM, stated her eyes flashed cheerfully as they focused her attention back on the other girl. "So what's your name?"

Kyoko beamed at her. "Sasagawa Kyoko, please call me Kyoko!"

"MM," The redhead introduced herself blandly, the smile remained. "So... you both sure you aren't dating?"

"MM!"

The girl grinned. "Just asking, I have to make sure you know!"

"Why?" Harry frowned at the girl; they had met very briefly for awhile before going their separate ways. It confused him to see almost a completely strange holding concern for someone like him.

"Because," MM began pressed arms against her chest and cocked an eyebrow. "After our first meeting, someone needs to make sure you aren't getting into more trouble!"

Harry winced. "I don't get into trouble, it finds me!"

"I'm s_uuuu_re," The girl retorted doubtfully.

Why didn't anyone ever believe him when he said that? It was true, honestly!

The girl waved her hand. "So what are you kids getting up to?"

"We're just checking out the town, and sightseeing mostly," Harry answered without missing a beat.

Kyoko continued from there. "It's also Harry's birthday!" Ignoring the look Harry had sent her as MM's eyebrow's shot up in surprise. "So Haru and I are taking him around town!"

"His birthday?!" The girl exclaimed, her smile turned mischievous and rubbed her hands together evilly. "If it is his birthday, you know what we have to do with him right, Kyoko-chan?" Together both set of eyes flickered in unison as they turned slowly towards Harry, wearing matching smiles.

Harry gulped loudly as dread overcame his entire being, his instincts shouted at him to scream and run away as far as he could just to get away from them. Only, his legs were paralyzed in utter fear unable to move from his spot as the girls closed in on him, slowly. The fear and anxiousness rolled off him, his eyes wide open as he raised his arms defensively in order to protect himself from the two.

"Don't worry Harry," MM began slowly. "What Kyoko-chan and I are going to do is a _good _thing."

His attempts of trying to escape had been futile. Their grip and determination was simply too overwhelming for him, proceeding to do the one thing every male on the planet despised with their upmost hatred and repulse.

_Clothes shopping._

No matter how hard he tried to run away and ditch the girls somehow managed to stop him in time before heading the next one. Then, they forced him to try different clothes on before grabbing another pile and then forcing it on him, rinse and repeat. It seemed to go on endlessly, finding himself giving in and not caring what the two did as Haru appeared soon afterwards and joined them just as Kyoko departed for the bathroom leaving the brunette with MM. Unfortunately for him, Haru and MM bonded instantly as the two began to exchange outrageous ideas. What had he done to deserve this?

It hadn't mattered in the end, as his words flew over their heads and did as they pleased. He knew that none of the girls meant any offense and thought that they were helping him have a fun time, Harry simply wished that they'd actual listen instead of going ahead and doing things without asking first. But he realized nothing could be done about it, simply allowing them to do what they wished; after all it did seem like the girls were having fun anyway. For him that was enough.

Eventually, MM had been forced to leave as she had received a rather important call that needed her attention bidding the three a farewell as they headed towards Takesushi to meet up with the othe-

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Harry stared as confetti was shot up into the air, sprinkling all over him. It had taken a few moments as his brain finally registered the banners that hanged along the walls and the party decorations that were wrapped around neatly on the inside of the restaurant.

"H-huh?!"

It was Yamamoto that stepped forward to answer. "It's your birthday party!"

"Kyoko and I were the distraction so everyone else could get some ready for today!" Haru spoke up smiling brightly, giggling at the same time as the two girls exchanged looks before high-fiving. "It was good that you were so easy handle, and you didn't complain."

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "I tried to run away."

"Details, details!" The brunette girl dismissed easily, waving her hand energetically.

Hana smirked. "You should know better than to escape us girls, Harry. Looks like you need to be tamed more."

"...Eep."

It was at the point Yamamoto-san had appeared waving his hand. "Hey now, this isn't the time for arguments. It's a party so let's have some fun!" He threw his head towards where his son was standing, along with Tsuna and surprisingly enough, at least for Harry, was Gokudera; though he looked disgruntled and annoyed, then again that was a natural look for the older boy as far as he was concerned. As his eyes began to get a full glimpse of the room he noted that even Sawada-san and Bianchi had also appeared, along with the man from the other day plus Ryohei and even...

"Dino?" Harry blinked.

The blonde Italian man grinned, waving his hand. "Yo! Tsuna texted me that it was your birthday, so rushed right over! Good thing that I was already here, huh? No way I was going to miss one of my little bro's birthday!" He grinned making his way over, and began to ruffle his hair, watching as a pout appeared over the younger's face causing his grin to widen even more.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY POTTER JOIN THE BOXING CLUB!" Ryohei roared at the top of his lungs.

Kyoko sighed. "Onii-chan!"

"What? Potter is an extreme guy!" The white haired teen protested holding up his hand. "Any friend of Sawada's has to be EXTREME!"

"Onii-san..." Tsuna felt the urge to yell however after many interactions of dealing with the older teen he had decided to simply go with the flow. It was also at this point when he realized that Reborn could also be around the restaurant preparing to cause some sort of trouble, which was something that he desperately wanted to avoid. He gripped Dino's sleeve giving it a tug in order to get the other's attention, whom bent down to his level. "Dino," He whispered. "Is Reborn around?"

Dino shook his head whispering back. "No. But I haven't seen him, so we can't be too certain."

"Right." The brunet agreed looking rather putout. It wasn't that he distrusted, or didn't want Reborn apart of the party but rather he wanted his friend to have a nice, normal one without any Vongola tendencies involved in it. Though underneath perhaps he was being a bit unrealistic with that desire as the infant usually did whatever he desired. Hopefully, if he did appear the damage would be minimal. He felt a headache coming on, as he rubbed his temple slowly. He gazed around the room, feeling his eyes soft watching as everyone began to interact with one another.

He was happy to see that all of his friends were getting along and have fun. While the smiles, the laughter and the fun that had come into his life seemed endless Tsuna desired nothing more than wanting these days to continue; always.

"Oi Sawada," The harsh voice that belonged to one person only as Hana approached him placing a hand upon his shoulder. Her normal expression of dried irritation was replaced with a look of concern. "You alright? This is a party we should be having fun not standing here doing nothing right?" A smirk slide on her face folding her arms upon her chest staring intently at him, her eyes gleamed mischievously. "Or perhaps you were waiting for me to come over to talk?"

Tsuna nearly chocked. "W-what?!"

"I knew it," The brunette flipped her hair in a rather vain manner. "I knew you couldn't resist my beautiful looks!"

His mouth nearly dropped at her words. '_N-no... that's not the reason at ALL!'_

"I'm kidding Sawada, cool your jets." The girl dismissed it as her eyes flickered towards the rest of the group, raising an eyebrow allowing a small snicker escape her lips.

"What?"

Hana glanced briefly pointing towards the area.

Slowly the pair of brown eyes followed flickering towards the bar where Bianchi was holding up her plates of poison cooking talking to Gokudera, whom was collapsed into Ryohei's arms all while Yamamoto-san was scowled her gently and his mother was laughing it off. The man from the other day, Kikyo looked rather confused but seemed to be having fun if the small trace of a small was anything to note. He was glad to see that the older had decided to come as Dino made his way over beginning to chat up a storm.

But that wasn't what the girl was pointing to. In fact it was at Yamamoto and Harry. Both of them were standing closely, very closely now that he was beginning to notice a bit, as a soft expression flashed through the pools of amber.

"Okay, so?"

Hana slammed her palm onto her forehead. "Boys. All of you are monkeys, I swear."

"Huh?!" What in the world was she talking about?

"Never mind Sawada, I'm sure you'll understand someday in the mean time, mind getting me a drink." It wasn't a question as the girl didn't seem to even allow him to answer. "Thanks," before walking over towards the girls and joining them into their conversation. Whatever it was about.

'_Why do I have to do it?' _Tsuna complained mentally, going to grab said beverage that was located near where the other two were standing.

Yamamoto waved cheerfully. "Yo Tsuna!" As Harry gave him a polite, but warm filled smile. "Having fun?"

"Y-Yeah!" Tsuna stated with a grin as his brown orbs fell onto the other boy. "How about you Harry?" It was his friend's party after all.

The raven gave a large, faint but well meaningful smile. "It's absolutely brilliant thank you-all of you for this. I can't believe you guys went out of your way to do this for me," His eyes were soft shining with happiness and joy that were new. He had never been celebrated a birthday-especially with friends before, it was something new that he had always wanted to experience but was afraid, as he never believed that anyone would care enough to have one. It was childish from his standing point.

"Of course we would we're your friends!" Yamamoto spoke up grinning widely draping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulder.

Tsuna nodded fervently. "Yeah!"

"Tsuna...Yamamoto..."

The taller boy grinned pulling the boy a bit closer towards him, his smile remained but his eyes seemed to sharp with concern exchanging a glance with Tsuna. "Hey, c'mon now all of us are here to have fun, right? So how's about we open gifts?"

Harry seemed stunned. "...Gifts?"

"Yeah, gifts." Tsuna stated slowly. The other boy seemed confused, bewildered and nearly lost on the concept.

"You guys didn't have to!" Harry protested with a frown.

The baseball player's eyes seemed to soften. "That's right we didn't have to, but we _wanted_to." There was a moment of pause after that before the taller boy grinned again, pushing the smaller towards the table where everyone was gathering around. "Now sit and open them!"

Harry realized at this point where was absolutely no way for him to get away as he was placed in the seat feeling rather flustered at the entire ordeal. "A...alright..." finding the ground rather interesting at this point in time as he mentally began to force the courage, that was currently located at the bottom of his stomach, to the surface. He hated being put on display like this. Damn it. It was like was being cornered, but in a rather good way.

"Just sit down, shut up and accept our love kid." Hana stated flatly staring at him with a look of superiority, with a smirk to boot as she handed him a present. "This is mine." It was a large square box wrapped in neatly wrapping paper. "What?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to eye it all day or what?"

Harry gave her a weak grin. "R...right," as he opened the pack slowly revealing a white box underneath his eyes gleamed curiously removing the top to reveal a bag. "A backpack?"

"Eh, I figured that you needed one." Hana stated with a shrug, cocking an eyebrow up. "Like?"

"Love it!" Harry commented sincerely staring at it. "Thank you!"

The girl snorted, but smirked in a pleasant manner. "Just glad that you liked it!"

"Our turn desu!" Haru cheered happily shoving her and Kyoko's presents forward, both were small boxes. "The clothes were from us, but we wanted to get you something else as well, so here!" As he accepted the gifts from the two girls, which he opened slowly to see two small square like objects with writing on it as he glanced at them in confusion. "They're lucky charms!" She instantly yelled happily, brown eyes shining brightly at him. "Kyoko and I took turns to find good ones."

His eyes widened in understanding before smiling at them. "So that's why one of you kept on disappearing, you went looking for these. Thank you Haru, thank you Kyoko," a stab of guilt was jabbed straight into his stomach. He hated it when others wasted their money on him...it...didn't feel right, they shouldn't have spent money on someone like him.

"It's no problem besides Haru and I had fun hanging out with you today," The auburn girl giggled with a grin on her face. "I hope we can do it again!"

Gokudera sneered at them roughly pushing past the two girls throwing an irritated glare at Harry. "The only reason I'm doing this is because if I don't Juudaime will be sad," The silver haired teen stated in a rather flat tone, holding out a box. "So here brat," he tossed over a very small white box over towards him, slamming his hands into his pockets before sauntered over back where Tsuna was standing. The disgruntled expression appeared upon doing, arms folded against his chest proceeding to stare at him with a loathing stare.

Rather than reacting to the other's attitude Harry opened the present in the same manner as he had done with the others. It was a watch, a rather nice looking one at that with a black strap and a silver coil wrapping around the centre. "Thank you Gokudera," He said sincerely. "I love it."

"W-whatever," The boy grumbled looking away as his face flushed.

Harry chuckled smiling at him.

"That was nice of you, Hayato." Bianichi murmured to him flashing him a gentle smile, eyes narrowed softly at him. In the past her brother would never do such a thing, but not it seemed he was finally growing up. "You're maturing."

He glared at her, turning away roughly again.

Perhaps not...

"POTTER!" Ryohei's voice boomed through the building throwing his arms straight into the air punching them very rapidly. "OPEN MY PRESENT NEXT AND JOIN THE BOXING CLUB TO THE EXTREME!"

A collected sigh engulfed the room having become use to the teen's antics.

"Onii-chan please don't tell me you bought a pair of boxing gloves," Kyoko sighed covering her eyes. It was the same thing every year as her brother was determined to get more people into his club, nothing seemed to deter him from doing so.

"Of course I did!" The albino teen huffed with a strange look directed towards her.

"Ano...Onii-san," Tsuna spoke up slowly with a hesitant smile on his face looking nervously at the older boy before him, trying to find away to express how he felt without offending him. "I-I don't think that it would be a good idea s-since Harry has to return home, s-so he won't be able to join the boxing club." The words stung him more than he thought that they would as it had took all of Tsuna's will power not to flinch at the painful realization of them. He didn't want his friend to leave. None of them did. "M-maybe give them to someone else?"

The teen stared eyebrows furrowed going to deep though. "The boxing club does need new gloves..."

"See? You can donate them to the club!" Yamamoto suggested his grin was on his face. "They could use new equipment right?"

Harry mused. "What about orphanages around here? Maybe we can give it to one of them?"

"That's a great idea Harry!" Kyoko clapped her hands together smiling brightly at him. "We can go down there tomorrow!"

Ryohei looked put out before a grin appeared. "May I teach them some EXTREME BOXING!"

"And it comes back to boxing, of course." Hana let out an insufferable sigh. Not that she had expected much from him anyway.

Dino snickered. "In that case it looks like it's my turn," holding out the gift towards him eyes dancing with mirth. "Happy Birthday kiddo!" He grinned ruffling the younger boy's hair quiet animatedly watching the scowl appeared on Harry's face which he thoroughly enjoyed.

His emerald eyes shot him a playful glare while his hands went to work on opening the gift staring dumbfounded at it. "A...whip?" Picking it up from the box he observed it for several moments as his eyes went over to Tsuna's, seeing the exasperated gaze on his face. Gently he placed it down back onto the table giving the blonde a bright smile. "Thanks Dino!" It meant it sincerely not matter how odd the present seemed to be.

"I already have one and I gave Tsuna my old one, so I thought might as well get you one too, that way the three of us can have whips!" The blonde exclaimed laughing a loud.

Hana smirked. "Cracking it rather hard aren't you?"

Dino's face went red.

"It looks like it's mine and Reborn's turn now." Bianchi remarked leaning against the railing. "I wasn't sure what to get you for birthday so I made you something instead. It's my best work yet if I do say so myself," wandering over carrying a small box. A small BLACK box.

The one that had been back at the shrine.

His blood ran cold. They knew. Both of them knew.

But...nothing happened. Bianchi had passed him the gift giving him a very gentle, warm smile with her eyes dancing with understanding and concern before she released the black box into his hands. He didn't move his gaze held firm on the object before him, after days of curiosity he was about to find out what exactly was in it. His fingers wrapped around the sides of it carefully, it felt odd to be so stressed about something so minor as this. He gulped upon removing the lid to reveal...

"A uniform?"

A cheerful sound came from Kyoko. "It's a Namimori Uniform!"

It was a light yellow blazer with a red crest near the hear with an 'N' centred right in the middle, within it was a white dress shirt and a blue tie followed by a pair of black pants. It remained in his hands staring at it with confusion where had this come from and why had Bianchi given this to him? His mind was racing with all sorts of questions. He didn't understand.

"Family isn't just a word," Bianchi whispered gently to him wearing a sad smile. "And it's more than just blood." She gave him a slow, meaningful nod.

"So... is Potter attending Namimori?" Ryohei asked confused tilting his head.

Gokudera grunted throwing his head to the side gritting his teeth together.

Yamamoto beamed. "Awesome! Hopefully we'll be in homeroom Harry!"

Tsuna and Hana exchanged a confused look between themselves raising their eyebrows neither of them understood why Harry had gotten a uniform when it was clear he was going back home. Unless...their eyes locked on to Bianchi in unison, perhaps they weren't the only ones that had connected the dots. Watching as the Italian woman gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before joining them by the side as if nothing had happened.

"There's something else in the box!"

That had captured their attention as their weapons instantly snapped back towards Harry. The younger pulled out two pure black, steely looking guns with a green streak in a lightning bolt fashion running left to right, appeared.

_'REBRON!'_ Tsuna shouted mentally, his jaw dropped in horror. '_WHAT DID YOU DO?!'_

"Look new toys!" The baseball player exclaimed clapping his hands together in a childish fashion. "I guess the kid really came through!"

Hana pierced him a stare. '_There's no way those are toys! They look too real,' _her eyes narrowed into slits focusing upon them. Why would the kid receive such gifts just what exactly was Reborn planning with him-the rest of them anyway?! Too many questions with little answers and that wasn't something she liked.

"I see Reborn found something to give ya for your birthday," Dino chuckled with nostalgia, completely unfazed by the sight of the guns.

"...I suppose I should thank him the next time I see him," Harry commented staring at the pair which he placed back on the table. He had absolutely no idea what to feel, but found himself unable to deny how good it felt to have them within his hands.

Nana didn't seem to have a problem with as she chuckled. "Awww it seems Reborn wants someone to play cops and robbers with, I hope you don't mind Harry-kun."

"N...no, it's fine Sawada-san no worries!" '_I sincerely doubt that there's are fake but..._' glancing up to see the cheerful expression that was on the woman's face he decided to keep quiet about it and flashed her a handsome. "I'd be glad to play with Reborn," He managed to say smoothly, despite he didn't entirely trust the infant. "I...thanks everyone...I don't know what else to say, other then that. This has been the best birthday I've ever had."

"In that case." A very familiar voice spoke up. A hatch appeared to reveal Reborn dressed in very speculator suit that was different from his own eyeing him with a glint. The chameleon that was on his arm flashed brightly turning into a gun. "Express your thanks with your Dying Will!"

The sound of a bullet fly through the air hitting Harry right on his forehead as the pressure from it had pushed him backwards narrowly missing the wall falling straight onto the floor.

_H...huh? Everything feels so heavy...all of a sudden._Was his first though staring blankly at the ceiling. At first nothing happened until a strange sensation began to tingle at the foot of his forehead going down towards the rest of his body, everything began to start heating up all at once burning from the inside to the surface. He slammed his teeth together, feeling his chest rising. His forehead burned fiercely causing immense jolts of pain to run through his body, nearly causing him to scream loudly.

It was hot. Too HOT.

Harry hissed painfully. '_What the hell is this i-it HURTS!' _The origin of his pain seemed to be revolving around his head as a throbbing pain whacked deep within his mind. It felt like a drill was going off in his mind, sweat slide down his cheeks panting heavily. He forced himself to sit up ignoring the swelling pain of body screaming at him. "Uhh...what hit me?"

"Are you okay Harry?" Tsuna rushed to the other boy's side wearing a look of concern bending down, his expression turned into surprise blinking rapidly.

The raven groaned. "...I feel like I got run over _what?_"

"N-No nothing!" Tsuna shook his head rapidly, a small smile waving his arms frantically. "Really it's nothing!"

A sigh managed to leave his lips deciding not to push it as he forced himself to stand. "If you say so Tsuna," He gave his head a shake in order to get his mind back in order placing his hand upon his forehead. The throbbing pain remained, while less pain, continued to make it's presence known working in tandem with the pain of his body. "Man, what the hell hit me?" He groaned again rotating his shoulders slowly wincing as he did so.

The brunet continued to gaze sympathetically at him. "Reborn shot you with a Dying Will bullet. It hurts the first time around, but you'll get use to it...I hope," He added the last part.

"I...have no intention on being shot at again."

The sound of a gun clicking echoed. "Care to repeat that?"

"I have no intention of being shot ." Harry repeated slowly his eyes locked straight onto Reborn's with a smirk on his face.

The acrobaleno seemed unfazed, as a smirk appeared on his. "That will make things much more interesting then, consider this a day off for tomorrow I'll be put you two through training hell!"

"HIIIIE WHY?!"

The wizard didn't react cocking an eyebrow up. "I'm looking forward to it."

The party managed to continue on without much a problem after that going straight into the night as guests began to head home, however, Harry had at least remained behind in order to help the Yamamoto's clean up along with Tsuna and surprisingly Hana and Gokudera. It was the least he could after they had gone to so much trouble throwing a party for him, Sawada-san left a bit before they did along with Bianchi, Kikyo and the kids as it had been getting near their bed time; Dino has offered to stay and clean up before Reborn had _discouraged _his aid sending the blonde away.

Kyoko and Haru had dragged off Ryohei back home as neither of them were comfortable working home alone late at night. The rest of them had quickly finished up gathering up the decorations placing them back into boxes, as Yamamoto-san had placed it away back into storage.

"Thanks for the help guys!" Yamamoto said with a grin on his face.

Harry shook his head. "It's fine, Takeshi. Besides, you guys took time to throw this party for me. I wanted to help."

"...Thanks Harry," The taller's eyes narrowed softly wearing a gentle smile on his face. "Oh!" The eyes brightened instantly. "Let's do something tomorrow!"

"Like what, baseball?" Hana questioned raising an eyebrow.

Yamamoto blinked. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

The girl's eyes twitched. "Honestly, _boys_." She turned sharply proceeding to walk away. "Whatever just make sure to give me a call alright?" Before anyone of them could answer the dark girl began to stalk off on her own making the males exchange a strange look but not question it.

"Anyway Gokudera-kun and I are off as well," Tsuna stated glancing at Harry. "Are you coming?"

He shook his head. "My place is that way, but I'll make sure to see you guys tomorrow. Night!"

"Night!"

Walking late at night brought him a sense of peace giving him some space to think. He enjoyed it personally focusing up at the blankets of darkness; cold wind kisses his exposed skin gently, he carried his presents in a small plastic bag that Yamamoto-san had given him to bring it home. While none of the items were heavy it was better to have them all together in one bag, as it banged against his leg. The uniform captured the corner of his eye as a feeling of immense guilty stabbed deeply within him.

Damn it...

Why did they have to give him a Namimori uniform in front of everyone?! Like he wasn't already having a difficult time trying to make a decision as it was!

"Why is this so hard?" Harry growled at himself heading up the stairs of the shrine, the anger inside began to swell opening the door and slamming it shut upon entering it and placed the back down gently onto the floor before falling there. "Damn it...what should I do?"

A sooth sounding of Hedwig's hoot instantly brought attention to her watching as she landed beside him, the large amber eyes gleamed intelligently pecking him on the ear fondly pushing towards a letter and felt his eyes go wide. A grin broke onto his face.

"Hedwig your brilliant!" Harry praised her, grabbing a sheet of paper and pen that he managed to find during his stay within the shrine.

"_Dear Sirius..."_

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine-End.<p>

So ends the chapter. I hope that it was worth the wait! And I even included much needed Harry angst, aren't I nice? XD. I want to apologize for the long wait as RL has been mainly my priority least last few months as many things have occurred so I apologize for that, but I'm back now! Originally I was going to make this chapter longer however, I decided to take out several scenes and save them for either further chapters or put them into the deleted scenes which will be posted sometime next week.

Also there is a subject that I want to bring up as I've noticed it floating around lately; my opinion on original characters (OCs). If you can do them without making them Gary-stus/Mary-sues go for it, but unfortunately I can't write OCs and I refuse to use them. Just to let you know, there will NEVER be an OC in this fic.

The Owner, though due to contrary belief, is not an original character. He is actually from a different fandom, but has remained nameless and is a minor character. As which he shall remain. Aren't I a nice guy?

Until next time please leave a review!


	10. Italy Arc I

Chapter 10

"DAMN IT!"

Yeah... that was about how good Harry's day was currently going, all things considered. Ever since his birthday party that little demon baby from hell had stayed true to his word, pushing Tsuna and himself into an array of destructive and hellish training that at first Harry had believed he would die from. But as each day passed things became a bit easier, though even crazier; oddly enough, not once had Harry minded. In fact if he had to say...he was enjoying himself. He was truly and completely enjoying himself.

It was insane. It was completely unlike him. But it was true.

However at the moment...

"HIIIIIEEEE!"

Harry grunted angrily, gripping tightly on Tsuna's hand. His other hand was holding a patch of rock firmly. Teeth gritted, he felt the muscle tissues in his arms starting to tear bit by painful bit the longer he continued to hold onto his friend. His heart thundered against his chest. His breaths came in labored pants as he struggled to pull Tsuna back onto the rock. For someone who looked like the wind could blow him over, Tsuna was _heavy_.

Another flash of pain racked his arm and for a split second his hand tensed, numbed from the pain… which was enough for Tsuna's hand to slip from his grasp.

_Oh hell no—!  
><em>  
>Breathe, he told himself. His arm was strained, muscles burning as if on fire. But that was okay. Better then okay. He could deal with his arm feeling like it would fall off later. What was important was that Tsuna's hand was in his, and the brunet was <em>not <em>falling to his death in a nearly fifty feet high drop.

Not for the first time, he cursed Reborn to deepest pits of hell.

Reborn had decided to take them out on a hiking trip in order to help increase their endurance and muscle strength. Begrudgingly, Harry admitted that he wasn't physically strong. He usually relied solely on his speed and quick wit in order to end a fight. The training with Oliver and his other Quidditch Mates had helped get his body into a balance that met the required standards and he had formed healthy eating habits, so he wasn't in too bad a shape. But that was beside the point.

The infant was well aware of which areas he was lacking in and wanted to improve them as soon as possible. Regardless of whether Harry wanted to or not, it was going to happen as far as that demonic infant was concerned.

Not only had Reborn done that, but he had gone the extra mile and had even taught him the basics of using firearms. Taking him to a shooting range along with the others—Takeshi, Gokudera, Tsuna and the girls—in order to have a shooting contest via multi-coloured balloons at Namimori Middle. They had been split into teams of two before being assigned a color and were to destroy the opposite team'scolors. Reborn strictly forced all of them to use guns that looked similar to the one Harry had received during his birthday.

Naturally, he had been curious—until he witnessed Tsuna's freak out. Needless to say, Harry wisely kept his mouth shut after that. He didn't want to worry his friend.

The teams had been split off into: Yamamoto and Haru in Blue Team, Tsuna and Kyoko in Orange Team, Gokudera and Hana in Red Team, and lastly Bianchi and Harry in Green Team. The end result had been rather surprising. Tsuna, Haru and Harry had tied with each other in terms of points. No one had seen that coming.

However, Harry had been quite certain that a gleam that could have been either satisfaction or smugness had passed through Reborn's eyes. He hadn't denied the possibility of it being both. Either way, he wasn't able to prove it. His arms were still sore from the backlash of firing the gun. It had taken him by surprise and nearly threw him up against the wall. That was when he had realized that Reborn's teaching style revolved around learning by doing instead of being told up right and front. It had gotten Harry angry in the beginning but he eventually got used to handling his weapons.

Weapons...

It sounded odd to his ears. Yet, at the same time, it felt _right_. Feeling the cold metal in his palms, hands tightening around the handle, grasping them as he lunged into whatever challenge Reborn had setup... It just felt right.

Yet he couldn't fathom _why_.

"H-HARRY!"

Hearing his name, his attention snapped towards the source of the voice, Tsuna. "I'm not letting you fall!" he hissed, eyebrows furrowing in determination. Swallowing a pained cry, he successfully brought up the brunet back to his level. Harry held him in place, watching as Tsuna reached out to grasp the rocks in front of him. Tsuna waited until he was certain of his footing before nodding with a hesitant smile. A look of relief washed over Harry's face and he returned the nod. "Alright, we're almost at the top. Think you can make it?"

"I-I... I think I can," Tsuna stuttered out weakly, brown orbs holding mixed and conflicted emotions within.

In the short time that Harry had gotten to know the other boy, he had noticed the brunet's damaged confidence. It held an eerie resemblance to Neville. He strove to help his friend gain confidence, to walk with his head high. While it seemed that Tsuna had improved slightly since their first meeting, that desire to give up and feeling of worthlessness remained as clear as day. And it _pained _him to see that. He knew that Tsuna could do so much more if he simply believed in himself, and ignored what everyone else said!

It hadn't taken him very long to figure out that his friend had been and was currently being bullied. He had grown up with the Dursleys. Harry knew the signs well enough. At least Takeshi was also attending summer sessions and was in the same class as Tsuna—he could at least defend him.

Harry wished he was capable of doing more. It was the very least he could do for Tsuna after everything the other boy had done for him during his stay... and for the tentative offer of friendship, bringing him into his circle of friends.

For that, Harry would _always_be grateful. Making friends wasn't easy, mainly because of his shyness and his reluctance at letting people inside his defenses. Hermione and Ron were exceptions. Both were the first friends that he had ever had. The adventures that they endured had strengthened their friendship, besides forcing him to see the double-standards of the wizarding world around him. As for Fred and George, while he wasn't as close to them, he did consider them friends.

Being around Tsuna and the others felt wondrous and he felt free, like there wasn't a care in the world! It felt different. This friendship, compared to the one he shared with Ron and Hermione, roused a strange feeling inside him, yet he couldn't identify what that feeling was.

It was strange. It was wonderful.

It frightened him.

"Y-you alright, Harry?" Tsuna's soft, barely audible voice interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Tsuna was gazing at him with a concerned look. The sober lines on his face easily drove Harry to placate him, with great haste.

With a thumbs up and a bark of laughter, Harry said, "Oh yeah, I'm fine." He smirked tiredly, to reassure his friend. "I was just thinking of a few things." Tearing his gaze away to take in their surroundings, he finally noticed that they had managed to reach the very top of the cliff in under an hour.

He blinked. "I think we're finally getting the hang of this Tsuna!" he said cheerfully, chuckling at his own words. After all, their previous attempts had taken _much _more than an hour. "We beat our record by a long shot!"

The brunet gave a weak smile, nodding hesitantly. "I-it seems like it, I don't think I could have done it without you."

"Nah. I don't believe that, Tsuna," Harry casually dismissed, waving his hand as if chasing away the self-reproach. "You could have."

"Maybe...," the brunet murmured under his breath, obviously without conviction. Caramel eyes flickered to the ground as redness spread on his cheeks. He glanced back up at Harry. "B-But with you around... Reborn's training feels easier. You know?"

Harry didn't give an immediate reply. He turned the words over carefully in his mind, sensing the sincerity in them. In fact, he was honored that his friend found the training that they were put through was easier to handle because of his presence. Briefly, he wondered what life had been like for Tsuna before he had arrived in Japan and how things would have been if he hadn't, before ignoring those thoughts. There was no reason to focus on the '_what ifs'_ and '_what could __haves'_. What mattered was the now and here.

"Yeah." Harry nodded with a soft smile. "I get what you mean."

The weak smile on Tsuna's face slowly widened. It became more certain though some of the shakiness remained. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as Reborn had appeared from nowhere and delivered a sharp kick to the back of Tsuna's head, sending the other boy to the ground. A dust cloud swirled around Tsuna's limp form while the infant stood on his back smugly.

"Don't go and start getting a big head now, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn chided, smirking as he watched the fallen teen with sadistic glee. "The both of you have much more to learn. It won't always be this easy even if the other is around. But then again you know that all too well." A gleam shone in the dark orbs as he directed his attention towards the brunet. "Don't you, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna winced and pushed himself off the ground with some struggle, coughing as he did so. He wiped the dirt off of his pants. "Did you have to kick me in the head Reborn?"he complained. At a sharp gaze from Reborn, he squeaked and answered the question, "I-I guess b-but I like having Harry around!"

Harry froze, staring at Tsuna in surprise and bewilderment.

_He likes having me around_. The words were spoken so easily, so openly. When was the last time Harryhad heard someone say that, with such honesty? He hadn't been expecting that at all. Perhaps he should have,after spending so much time around the older boy. From what he had learned, Tsuna accepted anyone and everyone openly without discrimination nor any care for their past. He didn't judge others. Unlike the students back at Hogwarts who saw people solely based on their family and House.

Tsuna... the others... They didn't. Because they saw no reason to, friends were friends, and the past was discarded amongst them...

Well, mostly all of them. He and Gokuderawere still at odds with one another. Although, it felt a bit less tense than it had been.

Reborn jumped onto the ground. Turning his back towards them, he started to walk away. "We're heading back," he announced sharply.

Harry and Tsuna exchanged a brief glance before looking back at the retreating form of the infant. They followed behind him with much haste, curious about Reborn's sudden desire to head home. Not that they would argue. They remained silent on their way to the Sawada residence, which Harry had started to become well acquainted with during the past month after becoming friends with Tsuna and finding themselves under the similar training regimen. Nana was always pleased at his presence in the house happily cajoling him into staying over for dinner. There were times when Harry wondered if he was intruding on them too much. However, he discovered himself incapable of ever saying no or denying Nana anything when she smiled at him.

Either way, for once in his life Harry felt that he had found a place where he belonged.

And that scared him beyond belief.

(1)

By now Harry had come to expect crazy things to happen around Tsuna. In fact, the majority of the insane events that occurred didn't bother him much considering his own track record back at Hogwarts. Nothing surprised him anymore.

Which definitely explained why he was currently sitting beside Hana on a jet heading straight o Italy; one moment he was at Tsuna's house talking and the next he knew Yamamoto appeared at the front door, then they found themselves where they currently were. Not that he was personally complaining. It was just a wonder how they managed to jump from one place to another in the span of what had seemed to be a minute.

He stared outside, absently observing the bright blue sky. Hana's presence hadn't surprised him. He had half-expected it. What had been a surprise was Haru. The girl had practically attached herself to Tsuna's arm once they arrived, nuzzling the boy affectionately and oblivious to the discomfort etched on the brunet's features.

Something within her eyes had flashed when she looked at Harry but before he could interpret it her eyes closed shut as she snuggled up against his friend.

A cheerful laugh from Yamamoto closely followed by a bemused hum from Hana broke him out of his reverie, and the strange gleam in Haru's eyes was pushed to the back of his mind.

"I still can't believe Dino has a jet like this!" Yamamoto chirped excitedly, head darting around to admire the luxurious and well postured jet.

Hana's tongue clicked against her teeth. She looked pensive. "It's impressive. What did Dino say his job was again?" she questioned, her curious eyes fixated upon the baseball teen as she awaited a response.

"Dino? He owns a business that he inherited from his dad. At least that's what Gokudera told me." The amber teen tilted his head. His trademark sunny smile appeared. "Maybe he can take us to his workplace!"

Haru threw him a look, arm still hanging on to Tsuna's. "Hahi! Is that allowed? Wouldn't Dino-san get into trouble if he brought us?"

Yamamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, you might have a point there, Haru."

"I-I don't think Dino would want us to see what he does anyway. A-after all he'll probably be extremely busy with how much work he's missed anyway!" Tsuna interjected quickly, his arms flailing about and eyes bugged out. The sight was rather hilarious to behold. "A-and there are plenty of places we should check out anyway!"

"That's right!" Haru beamed at the suggestion, sparkling brightly. Releasing her hold, she threw her arms up into the air happily. "We have to check out the sites and get souvenirs!"

Yamamoto grinned. "I hope there's a place for baseball!"

As if on cue Hana and Harry let out long, heavy sighs in unison. They leaned back against their seats, watching in dismay as the two bubbly teens immersed themselves into animated chatter, happily picking out and proposing ideas for activities to do during their stay. Poor Tsuna was trapped between them, his face exasperated. The longer the brainstorming went on, the deeper he sank into his seat. Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice so he had to force himself to tone the two out, obvious by how he was openly staring into space.

"How much longer until we arrive?" Hana groaned, closing her eyes, frustration lining her expression arms as she folded her arms against her chest.

Harry blinked owlishly, flicking a lazy glance at the watch Gokudera had given him. "I'd have to say a few hours more I'm afraid."

The dark haired girl let out a low but clear groan, directing a baleful glare at him. "Did you have to tell me that? Couldn't you have lied?"

"You asked," Harry responded cheerfully, smiling. "Besides, ignorance isn't bliss."

Hana pierced him with a flat stare. "That isn't how the saying goes."

"Yeah, well, that's how I write it," Harry countered back, not unkindly. With a smirk, his friend rolled her eyes, and he realized that she held a similar sentiment. He replied in kind with a wry, knowing smile. Turning forward, he noticed Dino talking into his cell in a hushed tone, a stunned yet oddly pleased expression donning his face.

A massive yawn escaped from his mouth. He felt the beginnings of fatigue overwhelming him, and allowed his eyes to shut. Best to get some sleep now, before the arrival time neared. The indignant cries from Hana and Tsuna ignored, sleep finally claimed him.

(2)

"They what?! ... No... I understand. Thanks for telling me. I'll make sure that the boss is informed of this immediately. Gamma over and out."

The blonde closed the phone with clenched teeth. He was angry, but more at himself rather than the situation. He had allowed them to sneak under his radar and make their way to Italy. At least he was able to take solace in the fact they knew their destination. He pulled out his phone again, quickly dialing another number. He paced back and forth in the open clearing as the phone hummed. Hopefully, she would pick the phone up. Not that there was a reason why she of all people wouldn't, but that woman did have a habit of doing whatever she pleased—

"Hello?" the seductive and playful purr echoed from the other end. He could practically see the smile on that person's face in his mind.

"Boss? We have a problem," Gamma answered sharply.

Silence. "...What happened?" Her tone changed, hardening into the professional mafia boss.

"I'm afraid I let my guard down," Gamma admitted. Beating around the bush was not something he did. "The Vongola heir and his friends left with the Chiavarone Decimo back to Italy, from what my sources were able to gather. I'm sorry I failed you."

"You don't need to apologize, Gamma. In fact," his boss purred, piquing his interests, "I believe you may have actually helped in the long run."

That was not what he had expected. He removed the phone from his ear by a good inch, blinking rapidly in confusion. "B... Boss?"

"Well, that's all I have to say. Just remain there until they return, alright?" Over and out, Gamma!" the cheerful tone that always irritated him surfaced before a clicking noise sounded, signaling the end of the connection.

"...That woman is going to be the death of me..."

(3)

Amazing.

That was the first word that popped into his mind upon arriving at Dino's manor. He stared up at the building in awe; it looked like something out of a novel. The place towered like a gigantic castle and stretched across the property—about a few hundred yards long. Surrounding the front were gardens that flourished with many beautiful flowers. Rows of bluebells interspersed with clumps of jasmines bordered the walkway, drops of dew on the petals glinting underneath the radiant sun. The five, too stunned and overwhelmed, remained standing by the set of stairs, unable to do anything besides gape in awe.

They hadn't expected the blonde to live in a house like _this_. Everything just looked too extravagant, too expensive and just too _everything_. How was he even able to afford it all?

Dino breezed past them and, as if sensing their thoughts, stared askance at them while still proceeding up the stairs. "This house belonged to my parents back when I was a kid and since I inherited the business from my Dad, I managed to keep the house I grew up in." A wistful smile slid onto his face. Then he glanced at the teens, becoming bemused at their gobsmacked looks. "What? Okay, so I'm a rich kid. Does that really surprise any of you?"

"It's impressive." Hana was the first to snap out of her stupor, begrudgingly admitting her approval with a sharp nod.

Yamamoto let out a cheerful laugh. "This place is awesome Dino! Do you have a baseball diamond in the back?"

"Sorry, Yamamoto." The Italian man sympathetically shook his head. "Afraid we don't. But there are still plenty of things to do here in Italy."

Haru giggled. "Like visiting the sights!"

"Going into town would be nice," Tsuna spoke up. He looked thoughtful at the prospect. He was all for checking the city out. It wasn't often that they left Japan to a completely different country, no matter how much it connected to his so-called mafia heritage. And being able to get away from Reborn for a while was a giant plus in his opinion. "Maybe there could be a sports store too?" This was directed towards Yamamoto, whom had caught on and shot a grin at him.

"That's right!" He beamed happily at the prospect.

Harry was silent. "There are a few museums that could be worth checking out," he stated. History at Hogwarts hadn't been his favorite subject after going over the Goblin wars for the past three years straight, but Muggle history fascinated him even in the years before he had been aware of magic. Not that he voiced his interest aloud. Not due to shame; much to his chagrin, Hermione's pressuring when it came to school work and her self-righteous attitude constantly put Ron and himself down. She didn't realize it, but the damage had been done. He never blamed her for it, though.

Now that he was free to roam, his old interests began to surface once again.

"So there is more to you than what meets the eye," Hana commented dryly, an eyebrow cocked and a sarcastic smirk on her lips.

"Were you expecting anything less?" Harry countered with a smirk of his own.

The dark haired girl's smirk remained as a few moments passed in silence. "We'll see," she retorted, waving her hand. "At least you're not a monkey like the other two."

"Tsuna-san is NOT a monkey!" Haru jumped to Tsuna's defense instantly, glaring vehemently and placing both of her hands on her hips. She stood in front of the brunet in a protective manner. Her stance was almost challenging.

Hana blinked once, and then smiled. "Fine. He isn't a monkey. In fact I don't think either of you two are monkeys." _Not anymore_was gone unsaid. Over the time since Hana was integrated into their circle of friends, her opinions of them had changed.(Somewhat. Her perspective on Gokudera hadn't changed much; they continued to fight and argue every now and then, though they came off more sibling-like than anything else.)

"How about I show all of you to your rooms?" Dino spoke up, looking amused at the entire display. Fortunately for him, his back was turned towards the five and his snickers as he heard Tsuna's whisper to Yamamoto, '_Did Kurokawa just compliment us?'_was hidden. "I'll make sure to lead you guys to your rooms," he stated with a nod, entering the manor and leading them straight towards their respective accommodations. The girls were given rooms of their own on the far end of the hall while the three boys were given a room on the far right side, giving a good distance away from one another. After all, it wasn't appropriate for girls and boys to share a room.

The rooms were large compared to the ones they had back home (heck, everything within Dino's manor was probably larger than theirs). It was surreal knowing that the blonde lived like this.

After unloading their luggage they decided to explore the manor, or at least as much of it as they were able to. Tsuna was unsettled by their decision to explore the place without Dino's permission, but gave in to his own curiosity and boredom, and so here he was, joining them on their exploration of the building.

Three floors with extended hallways and multiple rooms to go through were just too much to ignore; even Hana was interested in looking around. Whether it was due to the boredom of being alone or genuine curiosity none of them would ever know.

It didn't take long until they were found by Romario, caught when their usual verbal antics caused them to clumsily fall on top one another, to the utter bemusement of the older male.

Not that any of them saw anything funny about it.

Afterwards Romario led them straight to the living room. Like all the other rooms they had seen, it was just as extravagant, completely filled with the finest furniture that they had ever set their eyes upon. Hanging above was a giant, expensive-looking crystal chandelier that usually only appeared in movies. The lighting compassed the room, making everything shine brightly.

"This is so cool!" Haru squealed, eyes shining with childish delight.

Tsuna gave a tiny smile. "I-It's rather cool..."

"The color's tacky," Hana commented flatly, pointedly unimpressed. A glint flashed in her eyes. "Not too shabby otherwise." She stroked her chin in afterthought, and then tilted her head sideways as her eyes roamed around. "Didn't think the blonde monkey had a sense of décor. No guy does."

"Ouch, Kurokawa. That's mean," Yamamototeased, letting out his trademark laughter.

Harry frowned. "Where is Dino anyway?"

It was at that moment that the others realized their host was nowhere to be found. Heads whirled around trying to locate him and turned up empty.

"It's not like Dino-san to just disappear like that… I hope he's okay," Tsuna said, his voice barely above a whisper, worry lining his features. Caramel eyes focused on the ground, then flickered back to everyone else uncertainly, as if he was trying to decide on something.

Romario chuckled. "No need to be afraid D-Tsunayoshi-kun." Thank goodness he had quickly caught himself and corrected the slip. He ignored Hana's narrowed eyes. "Dino merely went to go and greet our other guests and bring them here. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, I assure you."

All five teens blinked in unison.

"Other...," Yamamoto began.

Hana pressed her lips together, annoyed. "Guests?"

"A-are we intruding?" Tsuna spoke up, appearing more uncertain than before.

"Why are we only informed of this now? Shouldn't we have been told in advance? It's irresponsible of him to forget something like this," Hana chided, arms folded against her chest as she stared pointedly at the older man. Her eyebrow rose casually, though she remained silent for several moments. "Or does this have to with his phone call during our flight?"

Harry blinked. She had noticed it as well?

"Very observant of you, Miss Kurokawa," the man praised, clapping. "That is correct. The phone call does have something to do with it."

"And?" she prompted swiftly, refusing to back down.

"Kurokawa!" Tsuna cried out, waving his arms about in an attempt to stop her.

The girl threw a glare at him. "What? It's fine to ask questions, no? We're going to spend the night here anyway and since he's having more guests over I don't see the harm in asking about them!"

_'I think that's just a bit too demanding,'_ Harry briefly thought. He averted his gaze to the windows, toning out the conversation. While Hana brought up a good point, the identities of the guests undeniably weren't any of their business. Still, Hana was absolutely right about one thing: they should at least have been informed that there were other guests upon landing.

So why hadn't Dino said anything about them? Did he just forget (which wouldn't surprise Harry, actually…) or was there something that he wanted to keep to himself?

Whatever the reason was, he would reserve his judgment for now.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. Dino-san isn't the type to do something without a reason," Haru piped up, smiling.

'_Reborn_,' Harry thought instantly. It made sense. Dino had been Reborn's student once, like how Tsuna and he currently were. From what he had seen the blond hadn't inherited Reborn's malicious methods.

He had the oddest feeling that he wasn't the only one having this thought.

The sounds of doors opening echoed loudly, followed by a resounding slam not too long afterwards.

"They've arrived," Romario concluded calmly, his posture straightening immediately.

Muffled voices came from the hallway, made incoherent by the wall and the hard footsteps pounding against the floor. They couldn't figure out how many people had entered the building, forcing them to wait with anticipation and wariness. Hana stood straight, tense, caution keeping her eyes set on the door. On the other hand, Haru was the complete opposite; she was calm and held genuine interest in her eyes and a warm smile on her face. Yamamoto was a mix of both, holding a friendly smile and obvious curiosity yet his eyes told a different story. They were sharp, guarded and certain if the need arose. And last was Tsuna, torn between politeness and uncertainty. Fearful caramel eyes darted around the room and back at the door, attempting to prepare for what was to come.

Harry on the other hand held a calm composure. While he was mostly curious, he still understood why the others were getting so worked up over the matter. None of them could change what was to happen. They needed to accept this fact. If something _did _happen, then they'd take matters into their own hands. The very least they could do was wait and observe before reacting. However, that didn't mean he wasn't taking precautions. His hand was in his pocket, keeping a firm grip on his wand.

The doors pushed open to reveal Dino, looking as normal as he had been upon leaving the jet. He wore a grin on his face as he waved at them. "Sorry for keeping you all waiting," he apologized with a small chuckle. "Had to make sure our other guests arrived!"

"So? Where are they?" Hana countered him flatly, staring him down with obvious disapproval.

"That would be us, my dear. Please accept my humble apologies." An old but strong voice with an apologetic note to it rang in the air, prompting Dino to stand aside, revealing a rather tall elderly man in the threshold. In his hands was a cane, and he wore a light tan suit and black tie. A very gentle smile stretched across his face once he stood in front of them. There was a calm air surrounding the man that brought to ease the tension in the room. Behind the soft, warm gaze, however, Harry noticed sharp calculation and guardedness.

"GRANDPA!?" Tsuna exclaimed at the top of his lungs before slamming his mouth shut, wearing a look of absolute horror. His eyes widened at what he had let slip.

The man merely continued smiling, his gaze softening and smile widening. "It's good to see you too, Tsu-kun. It's been a while, hasn't it?" The teasing tone was not lost on the others.

"Grandpa? Tsu-kun?" Hana interjected sharply, sending a glare towards Tsuna.

The brunet offered no response, still staring at the man in horror and awe.

"That was a nickname his mother bestowed upon him back when he was a young toddler. I believe back when you were around four or so?" The elder man waited for confirmation and received a stiff nod from the stunned teenager. His eyes danced with delight. "Forgive me. It has been quite a number of years since we have last seen one another. Work has unfortunately kept me from visiting," he said apologetically, appearing very sincere as he looked at the others. "It seems I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Timoteo. It's a pleasure to meet my grandson's friends."

Hana was the first to recover. She bowed politely while maintaining her stoic features. "Likewise, Sawada's Grandpa. I'm sorry for my earlier outburst," she added very calmly, composure regained, eyeing every detail of the man. "My name is Kurokawa Hana."

"Tsuna's grandpa, huh?" Yamamoto laughed, following suit with a bow. Next to him, Haru did the same. "Nice to meet you, name's Yamamoto Takeshi!"

"Miura Haru!" The brunette chirped, holding a peace sign next to her forehead with a brilliant smile.

Harry lowered his head with a tentative smile."Harry. Harry Potter. The pleasure is ours, sir."

"I think perhaps it would be best if we adjourned to the backyard? I'm sure my guardians would prefer that," Timoteo suggested to Dino with a relaxed smile on his face. "Unless of course you think it would be better to remain inside?"

Dino didn't look even remotely offended at the request. "I don't see a problem with it."

"_Guardians_?" Hana repeated the word, frowning. Her expression betrayed her bewilderment as she stared at the elderly man.

"He'd be referring to us, little miss." A gruff but powerful voice boomed through the room. Peering through the shadows of the dim hallway beyond the door, there behind Timoteo they saw a tall figure with wild white hair that reached to the base of his neck. The man's features gave an impression of a stern yet calm person. His moustache ruffled a bit as he smirked at Hana. As he moved forward to make himself visible to the small group, his mechanical arm was also displayed for all to see. Harry felt a twinge of guilt when all of them, including him, gawked at the strange mechanism. The man, though, seemed to ignore the stares with a practiced ease. The man's lips curled into a tight frown as he looked over them carefully, as if they were prey. His eyes betrayed nothing.

"I am Coyote Nougat, Timoteo's right hand. You may refer to me as Coyote _only_. Do I make myself clear?"His words cut sharply through the air like a knife through butter, his tone speaking as much as his words; he would take absolutely no nonsense. His stature was straight, very business-like, and professional.

A lazy, drawn out chuckle came from behind him. As an arm draped around the man's shoulder out came another face. This man looked young compared to Coyote. "Now, now Coyote, don't go and scarin' the kids now," he chided playfully a lazy smirk playing on his lips as he looked at the younger ones.

"Name's Ganauche III. Nice to meetya, kiddies!" With his arm held up as a greeting, he appeared very laid back and easy going, unlike Coyote. His slouched posture also reminded Harry of Yamamoto. Though he wore a similar suit to Coyote's, he had no tie and his black coat was unbuttoned, further impressing the devil-may-care attitude he carried.

"I, for one, think you're a tad bit informal," another male voice spoke, softly compared to the other two. The third man came up. The first thing that caught their attention was the lizard tattoo on his right cheek.

"My name is Brow Nie Jr." He then bowed very formally to them. When he came up from his bow, he wore a gentle and reassuring smile. _He's like a balance between the two ends of the spectrum_, Harry thought amusedly. Formal, yet gentle. Like the other two he wore a similar suit except his was accompanied with a yellow bowtie.

"I think that's just you Brow." The fourth man that appeared had scars all over his face. His eyes remained closed upon entering the room. His attire was identical to Coyote's except his coat was open and he had a blue tie opposed to the other's red one. Head half-turned towards the small group, he gave them a small nod of acknowledgement. "Schnitten Brabanters."

"Can't you two whippersnappers keep your voices down? You're both going to be the death of my eardrums," a grunt came. Another irritated grunt came as another elderly man around Timoteo's and Coyote's age walked through the door, sending Brow and Schnitten a pointed stare. Harry fought an amused smile as the two feigned innocent expressions, making the man roll his eyes and shake his head before turning his attention towards their group.

"So you're little Tsunayoshi, eh? You're bigger then I remember," he commented, stroking his chin. "Visconti; no last name so don't bother asking. Got that?"

Ganauche looked around. "Where's Bouche?"

"I thought he was with you," Visconti rebuked flatly, pinning him with a look.

"He wasn't," Ganauche shot back instantly. He turned to Brow. "Was he with you?"

The brunet pressed his lips together. "I don't believe so. No, in fact I'm rather certain he came with Coyote to be-"

"No. He wasn't," the other male interjected, effectively cutting him off.

"Did you lose him again, Coyote?" Ganauche accused, pointing a finger and raising an eyebrow at him. "You old men do have a tendency to start losing your mind around your age."

Coyote's eye twitched. "What was that, you brat?" His tone held a sharp, menacing edge to it. His head turned slowly towards the other man. "I _dare_you to say that again!"

"Old man! Old man!" Ganauche sang loudly, grinning from ear to ear as he swiftly dodged a strike from the older man. The grin widened. "You missed me! You sure your old age isn't catching up to you?"

"I'LL SHOW YOU OLD!" Coyote snarled loudly, lunging at the other male yet once again missing, landing hard on the floor while Ganauche stuck out his tongue at him. Pushing up from the ground, he once again charged at the other man and began to chase him around the room.

_... It's like Yamamoto and Gokudera... except older_, Harry thought, staring blankly at the scene. His lips twitched a bit. He glanced over to Tsuna and saw the brunet boy slapping his hand over his face and groaning under his breath. Apparently he had similar thoughts. Judging by the faces of the older crowd, this was a normal occurrence.

A cracking sound interrupted his thoughts. He belatedly noticed a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a Mohawk hairstyle with a tiny tail at the end standing between the two men, blocking their punches with his hands. His arms were not even strained.

"...That is enough. There are children in the room." Everything was said in a voice barely above a whisper yet it was loud enough for everyone to hear and feel the seriousness in his tone. His eyes flickered between the two. "If you wish to fight, take it outside." He was wearing the exact same suit as Coyote, black and very formal. By now Harry's eyes were immediately drawn over to his tie, which, as expected, was different, being indigo rather than red.

"Tch." Coyote lowered his arms and sharply turned his back on the two men. "Not even worth it."

Ganauche simply smirked. "Admit it; you're just afraid I'll kick your scrawny ass!"

"You wish, brat." The elder snorted, not even bothering to look at the other as he walked away, giving Timoteo a stiff nod once he returned to the man's side.

"Were you hiding again, Bouche?" Visconti questioned the newest arrival curiously.

The black man spared him an unreadable look, remaining silent for several moments. "... I was always here. None of you bothered to look around," he finally answered, not unkindly, his eyes dancing with a sprinkle of mischief.

"Must you always sound so creepy?"

"Hmm, I wonder," the Mohawk man answered cryptically.

"Where the hell did this guy come from?" Harry heard Hana murmur to Yamamoto, who was staring ecstatically at the man. Haru was blinking in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on while Tsuna simply looked like he was torn between jumping into a hole and gawking at the arguing adults. He had a feeling that his friend had never seen adults fight as if they had de-aged several decades; ithad to be shocking.

A laugh echoed in the room. He was pretty sure it came from Yamamoto.

"This man over here is Bouche Croquant," Timoteo introduced, gesturing towards the Mohawk haired man who gave a nod in response. A broad smile was on his face. "He's a bit of a prankster so please forgive him. Now then, shall we head outside?" Beneath the pleasant and calm demeanor hid firm steel that booked no argument, daring them to question his authority.

It was at this point that Harry couldn't help but wonder what type of person Tsuna's grandfather was and why he needed bodyguards of all things.

Hopefully, the answers to his questions would unfold themselves soon.

(4)

_"...We have confirmation. I __repeat, we __have confirmation on the Vongola Decimo. We are waiting further orders._"

"_You know what to do._"

"_Yes, sir._"

"_Do not fail. Understood?"  
><em>  
>"<em>Crystal!<em>"

"_Good._"

(5)

Tsuna trembled as he sat right next to the most powerful and influential person in the entire mafia world, who was also the man he remembered as his grandfather. All in all, he was torn between being scared out of his wits and relaxing in the calming presence. In the end his body decided for him, settling for a mixture of the two.

This person was the Godfather of the mafia. A predator, the largest of them all in the underworld—no, probably in the whole world. Yet no matter how hard he tried all Tsuna could see was the person that played with him back during his toddler years. It was strange. Unreal.

It also brought up another question: did his parents know about this? His mother might, he reflected. She had no problem letting Reborn into their lives to tutor him. She never really questioned the weird things that happened in the house or the injuries he gained from the insane training that Reborn had him go through in the months under his tutelage. As painful as it was to admit, his mother never did blink an eye at anything at all and was so easily to believe in things. Or perhaps his mother really was that gullible.

Which left his father.

It... made sense. Two years ago had been the last time he had seen the man. No phone calls, not even a message to inform them of his well-being or to ask of theirs. Nothing.

_'The less contact that he had with them, the safer they would be,'_ was probably the reason. All good and well in theory, but not in action. Not when it hurt, wondering for days that turned into months and then years, _is dad okay, does he ever think of us, when will he be back, does he _love _us anymore_? Of course, Tsuna had no proof to back up his thoughts. For all he knew, neither of his parents was aware of his mafia heritage. It was possible.

Right?

"You seem troubled, Tsu-kun," Timoteo commented, chuckling fondly at the bewildered expression that blossomed on Tsuna's face. His fingers wrapped around the china teapot and he poured some tea into the brunet's glass, pushing it towards him. "Drink. It will help with your nerves."

Tsuna felt his cheeks burn slightly. "T-thank you Gran..." At the stern expression from Coyote, he corrected himself. "I mean, Nono." Mentally cheering for remembering the Italian numbers, he grabbed the cup, placing it to his lip with a wince at how hot it was. He ignored the slight burn as he swallowed the liquid. It had a very sweet and delicious taste, and the scent wasn't too bad either. "It's good!" he exclaimed, his smile stretching to his ears.

"I'm glad you think so. This is a very special tea that we Vongola make," the Ninth began, folding a leg over the other. "It was originally designed by the Primo Generation during one of the battles in the middle-east. It's quite a fascinating tale. My mother, the Vongola Octavia, told me many stories about the previous generations. If you'd like I can share some with you." The sincere tone was not lost on Tsuna. The man had a gentle smile on his face. This was the person he remembered as his grandpa.

His eyebrows furrowed together as a thought occurred to him. "By the way, where is Gokudera?" His brows furrowed together in a tight frown as he gazed around, trying to locate the silveret. "I haven't seen him since our arrival. Did something happen?"

The half-Italian had been acting extremely off the day prior. He had tagged behind him everywhere, as usual, but the sheer desperation that rolled off of him had caused Tsuna some concern. Especially since it appeared whatever restrictions his friend usually had was no more and he used dynamites to solve all his problems. It frightened Tsuna. Sure, he had seen the boy completely devoted and defensive about him before but never to the length where it felt like every act was his last. He was glad that he still managed to get Gokudera's constant outbursts under control before it was too late. Yet, nothing satiated the boy. Nothing at all. However, once the night rolled around all the energy seemed to have been sucked out of Gokudera, leaving an empty, depressed husk as the boy left for his apartment.

Tsuna didn't know what had brought on the erratic behaviour. Gokudera's aggressive behaviour that endeared him to Tsuna as time went on had been normal, but he could tell that there had been something different about the situation that he wasn't told about.

He had reacted in a fearful manner and sent Gokudera home in hopes that he would cool down and entrust him with the knowledge of what was going on so that Tsuna would be able to help, whatever the reason was.

Next thing he knew Gokudera showed up at his door completely happy and bouncy, even physically clinging to him before running off who knows where in delight until Yamamoto had knocked on his door and invited him to come to Italy with Hana, Haru and Harry.

Oddly enough, as Tsuna explained everything to Timoteo, he suddenly had an inkling his grandfather knew exactly the reason.

"I see. I'm sure that it's nothing to worry aboutTsu-kun. Do not forget that like you, Gokudera is a teenage boy," Timoteo informed kindly, the smile stillon his face. "He's probably just going through some changes."

'_What kind of changes do you mean!?' _Tsuna wanted to yell, but he settled for a sigh. "If you say so Gr—...Nono." Another withering stare from the bodyguard prevented him from slipping up again.

"Now why don't you tell me about the rest of your family members? You seem to have gathered a great deal of them," the Ninth pointed out, nodding towards the general direction of the teenagers that were now playing a game of volleyball with the rest of his bodyguards. Timoteo chuckled quietly as he observed them, obviously pleased that everyone was getting along.

Tsuna's stance became somewhat defiant and he stared disapprovingly at Timoteo. "They aren't my family members. They're my friends!"

"In that case, tell me about your friends," the elderly man corrected, once again smiling that bright and cheerful smile.

"W-well t-there's Gokudera. You already know about him and all," Tsuna stuttered, losing his previous demeanor and falling back into his nervous and shy state. "H-he's really smart, brave, though a bit reckless and has a tendency to provoke others and lose his temper easily but he's a good person and he means well too. I'm glad that he's one of my friends. Yamamoto's popular and really nice. I'd never thought we'd ever become friends to be honest. Healways seems to know what to say and when to say it; I can't help but be envious of that but just having him there is reassuring. I feel calm with him beside me, as strange as that sounds."He let out a weak and small chuckle. "Kurokawa and Haru are different from the girls in my class and even more from each other. Haru's all around cheerful twenty-four seven and she's always trying to put a smile on everyone's face. Hana's smart and cold at first, but she isn't that bad a person once you get to know her better. And Harry... I met him just a month ago; he's been training with me under Reborn i-if you didn't know, Nono—"

Timoteo waved his hand, nodding. "Yes, I'm aware. I am rather curious of this boy though. Reborn hasn't said much about him other than he has potential and is interesting."

"I don't know much about him either, Nono. H-he's a friend of mine!" Tsuna jumped to the raven haired boy's defense in fear of something happening to his friend.

"Calm yourself Tsunayoshi. Nothing will happen to him, I assure you. I am merely stating what Reborn had informed me," Timoteo placated him gently, watching carefully as the brunet relaxed. "If you say that he's a friend and is trustworthy, I believe you." He leant against his chair. "However, I am assuming that none of them are aware?" An eyebrow rose cautiously, indicating towards the small group meters in front of them.

"Yamamoto thinks it's a game and Haru... I don't know if she takes it seriously or not, it's hard to tell with her sometimes," Tsuna admitted honestly. There was no point in lying to the man especially if he was in constant contact with Reborn. "Hana and Harry don't though. I'd like to keep it that way if I can, Nono."

Timoteo inclined his head. "You are aware that you may not be able to keep the truth from them forever, yes? Especially if they are close to you as they are now."

"...I know." The brunet looked down, biting back tears as he felt his powerlessness. He raised his head, meeting the man's eyes. His face was calm, and not a single tear glittered at the edges of pained brown eyes. "Even so I'll still try to protect them from that truth. I don't want to drag them into this, not when they have normal lives waiting for them."

Surprise passed through the man's eyes as they widened a fraction. Then they settled again, a proud smile blossoming across his features.

(6)

"It's rather surreal, isn't it?" Ganauche drawled out, a tiny bemused smile on his face as he sauntered over to where Harry was sitting. He plopped down beside Harry. Harry wondered if he should feel offended when the man didn't even bother looking at him, instead staring up at the sky. Then the man glanced at him, meeting his eyes, before returning his sight to the blue sky hanging above them.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Surreal?"

"Well of course," the older man answered, leaning backwards, using his elbow to keep balanced and sliding his head onto it. "After all, it's not every day you get to see the famous boy-who-lived travelling around with Nono's heir-apparent." His eyes leered at Harry expectantly.

"... You know who I am." It wasn't a question. His body went rigid, and he swallowed, unable to move, shocked as he was. Harry hadn't thought that he would run into anyone that knew who he was. After staying so long in Japan the idea of running into a wizard or a witch had become less probable and he had resolved to handle everything on his own. However, his luck seemed to have changed. "You didn't react when you saw me," he added slowly, pressing his lips together, his guard up. While this man was a friend of Tsuna's grandfather, it didn't mean he was trustworthy.

Ganauche held up his hands. "Hey now, I ain't going to hurt you kiddo! Just making a statement is all. I swear!" His right hand was placed right above his heart.

"I'm sorry." Harry ran his hand through his hair, sending an apologetic look to the man. "I don't... usually react this way."

"Nah, don't worry about it kiddo." Ganauche leaned over, ruffling his hair and grinning cheekily at the ensuing scowl. "This is your first time being outside of England – well, outside of Japan too I guess. Isn't it? I remember the first time when I left England, seems so long ago," the older male mused thoughtfully.

Harry blinked slowly. "Umm. You're from England?"

"I don't look like it do I? Yeah, born and bred. Then I left and never looked back," Ganauche answered nonchalantly, shrugging. "I think you know my younger cousin, actually; Neville Longbottom?"

"Wait you're Neville's cousin?" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "How come he's never mentioned you?"

Ganauche smiled, except it wasn't a fond smile. Rather it was cold, sharp and cynical. "Tell me, Harry, has anyone ever talked to you about squibs and what happens to them when they're discovered? Nothing good, I tell you. Most prominent magical families don't like the idea of squibs in the family. As the old saying goes, better dead than a squib."

The words sent a chill down his back, leaving him cold and nauseous. Was that how things were in Pureblooded families? To kill a loved one just because of they couldn't use magic… But the longer Harry thought about it, the more it made sense. Or what meager sense he could assume of the actions anyway. He recalled the accountant cousin that Ron had brought up during their first meeting and how they never talked about him much, seeing the disturbing parallels between the Weasleys and the Durlsyes. His mind drifted towards Neville; he had told Harry that his Uncle Algie had pushed him out of an apartment building. At the time he had thought that his friend had been kidding, but now...

He was finally starting to see the darker side of the wizarding world. And it disgusted him.

The man seemed to read his mind, nodding sympathetically. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" His words were soothing, a balm Harry was grateful for, with his world feeling like it had been thrown upside-down. "Not many people stop to think about it. Most of them are too wrapped up in the wonders of magic until it's too late. But it seems that you get it," Ganauche stated with a pointed stare. "Well that's the British for ya. The other countries, notably the North Americans, don't follow that practice anymore. It's mostly just Britain that continues those old stuffy ways. Hogwarts is held in high regard and all that, but the European justice and educational system are considered complete jokes worldwide," he added.

"Wait what?" This was certainly news to him!

"Never mind about that now. You'll have to find info on that on your own," Ganauche said swiftly. "Have you contacted the Japanese Ministry of Magic at all?"

Harry flinched. "I don't know where to go or how to contact them. Hedwig managed to find me a week ago, but I've been letting her rest comfortable and..." A blush appeared on his face. "I didn't want to get in trouble breaking the stature of secrecy."

"Eh, that's probably a wise decision," Ganauche agreed, tilting his head. "You know you can use magic if you're in trouble, right, kiddo?" Seeing the stunned look, the man chuckled, shaking his head. "That answers my question. I'll loan you a book to go through," he offered.

"Thank you," Harry whispered gratefully with a tiny smile, eyes flickering over towards Tsuna and the others. He bit his lips. "D… do they know?"

"Hm?" Ganauche stroked his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No. They have no idea. It's all in the past where it's going to remain. I have friends– people that I can call family, and a job that I love. That's all that matters to me. We can't change the past but we can strive for the future. You understand what I'm saying?"

There was wisdom in the man's words and, hearing the passion as he spoke, Harry felt the strength burning in them. His conviction.

Harry did not respond immediately, his eyes straying from Ganauche to his… friends. Yes, friends.

His eyes softened, a faint smile tugging up his lips. "Yeah... I do."

(7)

The rest of the afternoon went without a hitch. Since all of them were still feeling the jetlag, they decided to explore the town the next day. The majority of their time was spent lounging around with Tsuna's grandfather's bodyguards and Dino, who kept switching between mingling with everyone and answering his cell, which, Harry noticed, every so often followed by a soft smile or furious blush, though no one else seemed to notice. Mostly Tsuna kept close to his grandfather, immersed in deep conversation, enjoying his presence.

Tsuna wasn't the only one enjoying the guests' presence, as Hana certainly enjoyed herself playing chess with Visconti again and again, going by her smirk. Both seemed to enjoy the challenge that the other brought to the table as they battled ruthlessly for victory (personally, Harry was reminded of Hermione). Yamamato and Haru were busy chatting animatedly with Schnitten and Brow by the table not too far from where Tsuna was sitting. Harry on the other hand continued to talk with Ganauche about the wizarding world's current state.

Apparently, no one had noticed that he had gone missing.

Ganauche had been keeping up to date with the British Wizarding World since leaving in order to keep an eye on things and his family. He held no ill-will towards them and, surprisingly, even thanked them for throwing him out. Ifthey hadn't, he'd said, he would not have met Timoteo at all.

Harry understood, in a way. It was similar to how Harry, if the Dursleys hadn't left him in Japan, probably would not have met Tsuna and the others. In a strange, twisted fashion, Harry owed the Durlseys.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

Harry pondered over the situation carefully. It made sense that no one had noticed his disappearance since he had used muggle transport. And since he hadn't been using any magic no one had been able to locate him via owl post for underage magic... Not that they could, Harry reflected, remembering the ring he had received.

He had kept it a secret from Ganauche. For now, anyway. Using magic hadn't crossed his mind often. He had become used to doing things the normal way again so that resorting to magic wasn't his first reaction anymore. And he had learned the joys of having fun without magic.

Not that he hadn't known them before. He just never had _anyone_to share it with. Ron didn't know and wouldn't be interested in doing muggle activities, and Hermione was so firmly planting herself into the magical world that her interests in muggle things seemed to have faded away.

As much as Harry loved and enjoyed magic he didn't want to have to give up one for the other. Greedy he may be, but he wanted _both_. In the past the magical world had been an escape for him, to finally have something of his own that Dudley couldn't have. A sanctuary.

But that was no longer the case. He had a choice now. And... Harry wasn't sure that he could choose between the two. He didn't know what to do! Never before had he ever felt so conflicted. He knew that he'd have to make his choice in the end, and that that time was nearing.

Harry only hoped he would make the right choice.

When dinner snuck up on them Dino requested that they change into more appropriate attire for the evening. Which stumped them until Hana and Haru caught on, forcefully dragging the three into the nearest bedrooms and sneaking their claws into the boys.

Women were scary. Especially when _clothing _was involved.

He didn't know how donning suits could take _hours_, but he'd checked and asked and the clock really wasn't broken. So it was several grueling hours later that found Harry, Tsuna and Yamamoto all clad in black spare suits Dino had fished out of the closet as they rejoined the others in the very large, very polished dining room.

Harry wondered if he would ever feel anything besides awe in Italy.

It was something totally out of a movie, with an oaken table stretching across the room, a giant chandelier hanging above its center, its small, diamond-like ornaments dangling back and forth. Smaller, yet no less intricate lights dotted the ceiling, bathing the room with a soft, golden light. It was absolutely breathtaking.

The food looked no less impressive. A variety of dishes laid before them, fish and mollusks—heck, there were even several bowls of soup, all different kinds—and beef and chicken, all prepared differently and decorated fit for royalty.

Then Yamamoto's stomach proclaimed its eagerness with a beastly growl, no few snickers rang throughout the room, and with a sheepish expression Yamamoto took his seat.

The rest followed suit.

"This is amazing!" Yamamoto exclaimed, swallowing the food with a wide grin. "I've never tasted anything so good in my life – don't tell oyaji that though!"

Hana snorted, smirking. "It's Italian food, of course it's going to be great!"

"I'm glad that you two think so highly of my chef. I'll make sure to tell him you said that!" Dino remarked, quite pleased at the comments. "It's rare that we get visitors so I'm sure he'll be happy."

Tsuna blinked rapidly. "Y-you have a chef Dino-san?!"

"Well..." The blonde looked rather embarrassed, scratching the side of his cheek. "Not... many of us that live in the manor know how to cook so... we... have to hire one." Dino gave a sheepish grin, his face a bright red as he confessed to his inadequacy in the kitchen.

Yamamoto let out a cheerful laugh. "I know what you mean! Even though my Dad owns a restaurant and I help out frequently, anything beyond sushi I can't cook!"

"That's not something you should say so easily, Yamamoto," Hana chided, piercing him with a cold look, gaining a sheepish grin from the baseball player which caused her to sigh. "I take back what I said. You're a monkey through and through."

"Ouch, Kurokawa!" Yamamotoplaced a hand over his heart, mocking a wince and failing fight off the grin that threatened to spread over his face.

"If you'd like, Yamamoto-kun," Brow spoke up as he placed his cup onto the tray, a fond smile on his face. "Perhaps I can teach you a few things? I myself was once in your position you know."

"Really? Thank you Brow-san!"

The man merely smiled in return.

"I-I wouldn't mind trying to learn too," Tsuna murmured under his breath, playing with his food. He glanced up shyly.

Dino grinned. "After all, you can't always rely on Mama's cooking, right?"

"Nana always did make the best Italian dishes whenever I came for a visit," Timoteo mentioned, wearing a nostalgic gaze as he reminisced. How he missed those delicious meals!

Visconti snorted. "You would never shut up about her meals, Nono." He smirked.

The man flushed. "H-Her dishes are wonderful!" Timoteo defended, holding up his hands.

"So we've heard time and time again," Coyote grunted, disapproval lining his features once again. However for a split-second the rough man's lips tugged up teasingly before falling back under control as he quietly returned to his food.

"You're all against me," Timoteo stated, shaking his head, and threw his hands up into the air in a joking manner.

The entire table erupted into rambunctious laughter at the man's display. Who knew that the old men actually had a sense of humor? The rest of the night continued on smoothly; it was a wonderful night.

And tomorrow was bound to be even better!

(8)

"I'm going to go use the bathroom!" Tsuna informed his two friends from the doorway, giving them a wave and receiving nods in return. Closing the door, he leaned against it, a sigh on his lips. A smile tugged on his lips, however.

He was absolutely exhausted, but it had definitely been worth it.

Being in Italy had already been overwhelming but meeting his grandfather, or rather the Vongola Nono along with his bodyguards had been even more so. Yet it had turned out better than he'd expected. Much to his relief, none of them acted likeReborn. They were all rather laid back around them, with the exception of Coyote, though he couldn't help but wonder if the man had warmed up to them. He had seen the man smile every so often, so perhaps. In the beginning Tsuna had been rather frightened of the older men, but that was no longer the case.

He enjoyed spending time with them. It had been fun.

Just like the rest of the rooms within Dino's manor, the washroom was far from shabby. It glowed brightly, the strangely styled—probably Italian designs—lightings above providing strong light. It was completely large (Tsuna doubted _anything _wasn't) and multiple mirrors lined the wall near the sink; they were oval-shaped, and… were those _gold_links attaching them together? Now that he observed carefully, the borders seemed to be gilded too…

The brunet teen smiled ruefully, scratching his cheek. "Dino-san…" As he shook his head at the opulence, he finished his business and went towards the sink, washing his hands and splashing his face with water. Tsuna reached over to the side trying to grab one of the towels, missing at every try causing him to frown. "U-urgh I can't see. Where's the towel—?"

"Don't worry. It's not like you'll need it," a sharp, male voice spoke, malicious tone at odds with the casual words.

Tsuna froze at the sound, his body whipping around sharply as his eyes snapped open. "H-Huh w—!"

A white cloth was slammed against his mouth, another hand sneaking up from behind, pressing against his back. Trapping him, Tsuna realized with horror as his fist caught the man's arm instead of his stomach like Reborn had taught. He had to _move_, and he couldn't breathe, his throat constricted, something crushing his neck and strange, why did his limbs feel like lead…?

'_N-no__! L-let me go! YAMAMOTO! HARRY! HANA! HARU! GRANDPA! DINO! __HE-ELP!' _

Darkness claimed him.

(9)

Chapter 10- End.

I ended on a cliffhanger, aren't I evil? Anyway I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one, you'll all be glad to know that it will be a short wait since chapter eleven is already half way to being completed so look forward to it!

Now I want to bring up this little notion before I continue onwards; this is not a bashing fic. There will be absolutely NO BASHING whatsoever. There WILL be conflicts between characters here and there, which is normal, especially between Iemitsu and Tsuna, not everyone is going to immediately be all buddy-buddy with one another. So please keep that in mind. If It seems that I'm dangerous leaning towards bashing a character let me know so I can rectify that. So I hope that has been covered.

Another thing I'm probably going to get called out on is the lack of Gokudera in this arc. There IS a reason why he won't be a part of this arc which you'll see AFTER this Arc is over, it IS important to the future developments of the character so keep that in mind.

Now unforunately, I am of need of a new beta. If you're interested please say so in your review or send me a message via the PM!

Anyway make sure to leave a review everyone!

And make sure to have an awesome Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate and a Happy New Year!


	11. Italy Arc II: Onwards

Chapter 11: Italy Arc II Onward

_Chaos. _That entire manor had been in complete and utter chaos going through every single door, pantry, and closet within the building trying to locate the missing brunet, it had occurred to them not long after Tsuna had not returned from the bathroom that something had been terribly wrong. No one had wasted any time jumping straight into looking for their friend; each of them had been assigned a floor and wing dividing into miniature groups in an attempt to cover more ground in hopes of finding as quickly as possible. The desperate, worried cries echoed audibly within Dino's home; even being heard from the outside as a group of the Italian's staff ventured outside to look for any clues.

In the end all of them had turned up empty as they met back in the living room. Tensions were running high that even in the air had become stiff; none of them were pleased with the current turn of events. They had nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Damn it!" Dino slammed his hands on the table creating cracks to form burying his head in between his arms; the look of positive fury on his face was unspeakable. "How could have I let this happen? How couldn't I even know that there were spies in my own home, what kind of brother am I?!"

"Don't blame yourself, Dino-san. It's not your fault," Haru had been the first to recover placing both hands upon the older male's shoulders smiling sadly. "Tsuna-san wouldn't want you to blame yourself for this. We need to stay strong until we find him," She squeezed reassuringly. "We can't let a little something like not finding any clues stop us from search for him. We'll find him, I know we will."

Dino gave her a grateful smile alongside a short nod.

Timoteo cleared his throat gaining the room's attention. "I think we've all had a bit of a shock today, and as much as it pains me to say this I think all of us should adjourn for the night. My men are already doing everything within their power to locate my grandson; unfortunately, none of us are of much use if we continue to allow ourselves to be high strung and lacking in sleep. The search will continue in the morning, but that time I am certain that we will have something to work on."

"B-But Nono!" Dino protested leaping off of the bed looking scandalize at the proposal only to come at a halt upon staring at the elderly man's face.

The man wore a stoic expression that lined his features while his eyes were filled pain at the decision that he had made. No one was suffering more than him.

"...I hate that I have to say this, but I think Tsuna's grandpa is right about this," Hana expressed softly, averting the gazes from the others. Her dark eyes flickered towards them briefly before returning to the wall avoiding seeing their faces. "We aren't much use if we're running around half-cocked and barely awake. We need to conserve our energy for tomorrow."

"Kurokawa..." Yamamoto stared as his hands rolled into fists, a flash of anger passed through his eyes eventually vanishing quickly as it had appeared. "...I guess we don't have much a choice, huh?"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose contemplating what Hana and Timoteo had said. Their arguments were sound and not without reason, with the aid of the man's men they would at least have people searching while they slept. There was a chance, a slim one at that, that something could be found in order to locate Tsuna, of course he wasn't going to get his hopes up but at the moment that was all they had. However, why had Tsuna been taken anyway? That was another question. Was it because he was the grandson of Timoteo? Had connections to Dino? Or was he merely a victim of opportunity? Another factor was how long the captors would allow his friend to remain alive until he was disposed of...

The thought of losing his friend made his heart twist painfully at the idea of Tsuna being dead; he just could not imagine it! He refused to imagine it. None of them would let that happen, they would find Tsuna. They had to.

* * *

><p>His body began to twitch back alive as his consciousness returned. He was still weak from what had happened. Being able to move again was something at least. Tsuna attempted to push himself off of the worn, cracked ground, coming to a halt upon feeling the floor shake roughly, footsteps echoing through his ears. Whoever the person was, they were not too far off from where he was. He lied back down on the ground, deciding pretending to be asleep was for the best.<p>

That was until his body ascended upwards, warm, somewhat callused hands picking him up and then placing his head down again on something warm.

"He seems to be alive, thank goodness." The unrecognizable male voice sounded relieved. The back of a hand was placed on Tsuna's forehead, which was quite cold to begin with. "He isn't warm, though. But he's breathing properly."

"At least that's one thing," another voice spoke, this time a female's. "Now we just need to get out of here."

The first voice sighed, exasperated. "That's easier said than done. Until we can come up with a plan, I'm afraid we're trapped."

Trapped? So were they prisoners like he was then? Tsuna thought with surprise. So he wasn't the only that had been taken? Frowning, he pondered over his options. Continuing to remain unconscious probably wasn't a good idea, especially if there were others like him. Plus, they didn't sound like bad people from what he was able to tell. Allowing his eyes to squint, he slowly began to open his eyes, using his elbow to prevent the bright light from stinging his eyes. Two silhouettes peered through the lights, looming over him. His vision was still blurry from being shut for however long he had been unconscious. Though not a moment latter the two became very clear to him.

The one that was holding him was a young boy that looked around his age, wearing a relieved expression on his face, with long blonde hair and violet eyes gazing softly at him. His attire was a simple light purple vest, and a white collar peeked out above it. He was also rather tall, around Yamamoto's height, from what Tsuna was able to tell.

The girl was nearly the complete opposite of the boy. The only shared traits were the hair colour and length, though hers was more curly compared to the boy's straight one. She held a stoic expression, eyeing him critically, grey eyes flashing with an unreadable gleam. Her arms were folded against her chest, long hand tapping the side her arm. She was clad in a yellow blouse that hugged her body closely and a black skirt that cascaded down her legs.

"Nice to see that you're awake," the boy commented with a sincere smile on his face. "Are you alright?"

Tsuna blushed, nodding slowly. "Y-yeah thank you."

"Good. Are you able to stand?"

"Y-yes." Tsuna nodded slowly, his head still buzzing, and removed his head from the boy's lap. As he slowly stood up, his body swayed back a bit but he was thankfully caught by the other boy. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment at his clumsiness. Why did his dame-ness have to sow up so quickly? "S-sorry!"

The boy shook his head. "No, it's fine. Rizona and I had a rather difficult time getting back on our feet upon awakening as well. It might take awhile; the drug that was used on us makes it so that we're unable to move."

"Rizona?" Tsuna repeated, his brown eyes wandered towards the blonde girl, who nodded curtly at him. "N-nice to meet you!"

Rizona eyed him stoically. "...A pleasure," she greeted stiffly in return.

"I'm sorry about her. Rizona really doesn't say much I'm afraid," the boy apologized, running a hand through his hair nervously, wearing a tiny smile on his face. "I've known her my entire life. She's always been like this in the beginning so please, don't think about it too much. She'll warm up to you eventually."

Tsuna chuckled nervously. "I-I'll take your word for it... uu-ummm...?"

"My apologies." The blonde smiled much more gently this time, holding out his hand in a friendly manner. "My name is Albito."

"Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna shook the hand, smiling back. "Everyone calls me Tsuna though."

"A pleasure. Though I sincerely wish that we had met under different circumstances, Tsuna," Albito stated, sliding his hands into his pockets as he looked around the jail that they had been placed in. Compared to normal jails, it was rather large. More a cage than a cell, actually. It provided them a lot of space for movement yet lacked the standard beds. The walls looked very old, the paint was worn down, lost to the years, and the floor itself looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

"Where are we anyway?" Tsuna enquired, this time spinning around in order to get a good look at their holding cell.

Rizona shrugged her shoulders. "We don't know."

"Rizona and I have been held longer than you have, or at least I think we were. We woke up much earlier and noticed that you were with us," Albito continued, frowning. "Unfortunately, we were unable to see our captors."

The brunet sighed heavily. "You too, huh? I didn't even get a chance to react!"

"Which begs the question as to why we were even brought here anyway,"tThe blonde mused, stroking his chin. "Taking random people doesn't make much sense. There has to be some connection between us that the three of us are missing. But the question is what?"

A connection? While that made sense, Tsuna felt there was more to their kidnappings than what met the eye. He did agree that there was probably a reason they had been captured in the first place; they just needed to find out what it was.

It was odd that he wasn't freaking out like he usually did when this kind of things happened. Yet here he was, taking things rather easily instead of screaming his head off. Maybe it was because of Reborn's training that he had finally began to grow a backbone or become accustomed to the strange and dangerous things in his life now? Though that wasn't to say that he wasn't internally screaming. He was stiff scared. But now wasn't the time to lose it-he needed to remained strong until the others arrived.

In the meantime, he would deal with the problem at hand.

"There has to be away out of here," Tsuna remarked under his breath.

Rizona shook her head. "There isn't."

"We've already looked," Albito added with a frustrated sigh.

Damn. So they really were trapped like mice.

"We have to do something!" Tsuna cried out, eyes narrowing, catching the two by surprise. "Sitting around and doing nothing isn't going to get us anywhere! We need to come up with a plan or something!"

The two blondes blinked rapidly at the sudden outburst. Stunned silence reigned over them for what seemed like forever until a soft smile curled up on Albito's face and he nodded firmly acquiescing Tsuna's words. Not a moment longer, Rizona also nodded her approval.

That was one thing taken care of.

Tsuna had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into at this point but it was far too late to back out now that he had already opened his mouth. Swallowing his fear, he took a deep breath, feeling his courage gathering within himself.

It was time to plan.

* * *

><p>"A...are you two sure that you're going to need that?" Haru enquired stuttering as she watched Yamamoto and Harry gearing up, the taller teen swung his bag holding his bat around his shoulder in unison with Harry whom placed his guns into holsters that Reborn had given him after the challenge. Her brown eyes held nervousness upon being on the receiving end of the pair of eyes, she shifted her body rather uncomfortably.<p>

Harry struggled internally as a part of himself desperately wanted to reassure Haru of the situation and that everything would be alright in the end. However, he didn't believe that she deserved to be lied to. And neither did Hana. They both needed to hear the truth no matter how cold it was.

"It's not that a fight is going to break out we're just bringing these just in case is all!" Yamamoto thankfully answered blinding her with his happy-go lucky smile. "Right Harry?"

"Yeah. Right, Takeshi." Harry replied cocking an eyebrow with a fake smile on his face glancing between the brunet girl and the baseball player. While it was understandable why Takeshi had said it in that fashion he sincerely doubted that there wouldn't be any fight. It just didn't work that way. He knew that well enough now to except one whenever trouble was near. "Everything will be okay, Haru."

"We're coming along too," Hana declared, placing her hands upon her hips staring sternly at them. "I'm not letting you two go off on your own and get yourselves killed!"

Yamamoto frowned, biting down upon his lips a blank expression eroded his features for several seconds before vanishing. "I don't think that's a good idea, Kurokawa. I think it might be a good idea for you and Haru to stay here while the rest of us goes and searches for Tsuna-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Yamamoto!" The dark haired girl hissed, angrily. Her steps were menacing closing the gap between them as she jabbed a finger into his chest while glaring. "Just because Haru and I are girls doesn't mean that we're useless and weak. We're just as capable of helping out as you men are! We are coming with you and there is nothing you can do to stop us. Understand?" She recomposed herself, the glare remained as if daring the taller teen to challenge her.

Sweating Yamamoto sent him a pleading look for help.

"...I don't want you involved in this." The glare landed on him as Harry held up his hand. "Having more people to widen the search for Tsuna would be helpful but...you two aren't armed like we are."

Hana's glare seemed to wither a bit at his words. "Is that all? Then give us something that we use to defe-"

"I was in gymnastics since I was a little girl before I went into making costumes and cosplaying w-would that be of any use?" Haru whispered quietly shyly looking up at the three.

Harry pressed his lips together. Would that be of use? He really didn't know in all honesty. "Maybe I don't know though. If anything at least you'll be able to get yourself out of the way if a fight does break out," He stated hesitantly thinking it over. "N-not that one will break out!" quickly adding in as a look of fear flashed on her face.

"You certainly have a way with words don't you?" Hana commented her tone laced with sarcasm shaking her head. "I don't have anything fancy like Haru does unfortunately though I was a part of the girl's tennis club and did some dancing."

A sharp snort came from him. It wasn't entirely his fault for not having a way with words, besides consoling girls had never been one of his strong points anyhow. "At least it's something." He said nodding sharply.

Hana eyed him carefully not entirely satisfied with his answer, but knew that there was nothing else that could be done. "If you say so, Haru and I will meet the both of you downstairs." As she turned sharply proceeded through the door, Haru following after her not a moment longer giving them a tiny smile as they disappeared from sight.

"Do you think that was really a good idea?" Yamamoto asked, his eyes narrowed concerned no longer wearing a smile.

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just I don't think Tsuna would like the idea of the girls getting into any danger, you know? It's up to us to protect them from all that." Yamamoto stated rubbing the back of his head, casually trying to explain averting his gaze.

It took a moment for Harry to realize what his friend was trying to say finding himself torn between agreeing him with and being angry. It was true that Tsuna probably wouldn't be entirely thrilled with the fact that the two had been dragged along with them in attempts to trying to find him, even getting angry in the process. Frankly, he didn't want to bring the two into danger any less then what they did regardless the fact remained that they needed all the help they could possibly get to find Tsuna. And it wasn't as if they would be alone since it was likely that Timeto along with his bodyguards and Dino would accompany them.

However, that was not that angered him. What got him angry was the fact that Takeshi found it so easily to lie to the girls, why the hell had he thought was a good idea?

"Yeah, well unfortunately Takeshi things don't always work out that way I'm afraid. So we're going to have to deal," Harry informed him briskly, sliding past him with ease not sparing the other boy a look. "I'm going to join the others downstairs."

It probably hadn't been one of his smartest moves to essentially have blown off his friend like that as a stab of guilt decided to make it's self known. After all hadn't he lied to them in the same manner? He was being rather hypocritical about it, but what was done was done. He'd talk with Takeshi later about it. Proceeding to enter the living room where the others were, Dino looked a lot better compared to how he had last night wearing his trademark green jacket and all that as he sat on the couch in a contemplating stance with everyone else huddled around the table as he moved over to join them.

"Morning!" Dino greeted waving his hand, and blinked. "Where's Yamamoto wasn't he coming with you?"

"He's right behind me," Harry answered easily. "Were we able to find anything about Tsuna and his whereabouts?"

This time Ganauche spoke up. "According to what we've been able to find there is a distinct possibility that Tsunayoshi-kun might have been targeted by an enemy of both the Vongola and Chiavarone. We have a pretty good idea of whom is responsible and where one of their hideouts maybe, unfortunately this is where the bad news comes in I'm afraid, the area in it's self is completely surrounded. Getting in is going to be a tad difficult."

"You're saying that as if we're bringing them along with us," Coyote grunted from the sidelines. As the sounds of the doors rang prompting Dino to excuse himself briefly from the room disappearing to the front door as the air had tensed at the older male's words. No ill-offense had be meant merely it had been speculation on the man's part due to his professional probably believing that five would remain in the manor as they carried out the search for Tsuna. Which was highly understandable in hindsight.

Harry blinked at him '_Vongola?' _He filed that away for later. "What makes you think we aren't coming along? In case you've forgotten Coyote, Tsuna is our friend. Like hell we're going to stand around and wait for him to be brought back." His attention switched towards Brow. "Do you have a map of the area?"

By no means was Harry any type of strategist usually leaving that type of thing to Ron, during one of their adventures, Hermione provided them with back up with spells, ideas and pieces of information that she acquired during their research periods, as he mainly took on the necessary tasks and ended up facing off on a one on one in the end. It was how things worked between the three of them, a dynamic that they were comfortable using in times of need. But Ron and Hermione weren't here with him right now. It was just him. And he needed to learn how to deal with that; fast. Time was of the essence!

Gokudera, despite his rough and aggressive nature, was also a strategist far beyond that of Ron. Harry wished that the silveret was here to help come up with a plan, in the end the planning fell down to one of them.

Brow unfolded a map of the area onto the table marking the possible locations where Tsuna could be held and encircled various spots indicating where the most protected sectors and the routes they were available to them. Needless to say they had their work cut out for them.

"Splitting up into groups seems like the best idea at this point," Harry murmured, eyes darting along the map his finger tracing on it slowly. His frown deepened, circling on finger near the closet entrance. "If we go through this point here we should be able to gain access allowing us to spread to cover more ground from that point-"

The sound of Yamamoto's laugh echoed happily feeling his weight change as the tall teen dropped an arm on his shoulder. "We don't need a plan! Gokudera, Tsuna, Dino and I took care of Momokyokai Yazkua back in Japan so this should be a piece of cake!"

"We don't know what we're up against," Harry retorted with a frown.

Yamamoto tilted his head, grinning still. "So? As long as we keep our guard up and stick together we do it!"

"You're optimism is frighteningly high Yamamoto," Hana commented exasperated pinching the bridge of her nose sending a visibly irritated stare towards the taller teen. "Not like there's anything else we can do at this point but go with what we have. Besides I bet no one here has a better idea, right?" Her question was directed towards Timoteo and his bodyguards, pressing her lips tightly upon their silence. "What groups are we splitting into?"

That was the real question. Harry had absolutely no idea who should be with whom he didn't know any of their skills that they possessed and for what matter whether or not they'd be able to work together. Tsuna's grandfather's bodyguards already knew and worked together so that was one thing out of the way, however, he wanted to at least make sure that the others were well protected at the same time. That is to say that Harry wasn't stupid enough to disbelief that Reborn hadn't given Yamamoto at least some training before his arrival to Japan noting that the other had always carried around his bat using as if it was some kind of sword, of course he never got a chance to ask believing it was none of his business anyway.

The one thing that Harry was trying to avoid was placing pressure on his new friends just like they were not pressure him in return. They had secrets, rather Tsuna had a secret that was being kept from him and Harry already managed to figure out that Yamamoto, Dino, probably everyone within the room minus perhaps himself, Hana and Haru knew what it was. Not that he personally cared at this point. In fact the only thing that was truly on his mind was finding his friend.

Eventually the sounds from the front had snapped him back to reality as familiar sound had entered his ears. It had taken a moment for him to figure out what it was before realizing the person that Dino was talking to was _British_.

How odd. Then again it shouldn't surprise him as much since Dino was a businessman after all and thus was required to travel to different countries, thus that let the person at the door to either be a client of his or a friend of his. Regardless, Harry wasn't about go and eavesdrop on the blonde wanting to focus on the task at hand in order to further prepare themselves for the upcoming rescue; an obvious team was Coyote and Timoeto teaming up since they're had not been a single moment that the two had separated from one another upon arriving, keeping them together was bound to be beneficial leaving the rest of the man's bodyguards plus Dino, Romario, Takeshi, himself and the girls equalling to eleven bodies into which in turn allow them to split into four groups at max with the downside of one group consisting of two members and the rest with three.

All in all Harry would rather that group of two being himself and Ganauche. That would allow him to use his magic without fearing exposure and explaining himself to everyone else, with the other's knowledge of magic it would also keep himself from persecution from the Italian Ministry of Magic and the British Ministry of Magic if things went south.

A little insurance never hurt.

Now all that was needed was to place Yamamoto and the girls into groups in a way that they would remain safe and out of harm's way for the most part. Placing the girls with Timoteo's bodyguard's felt like the safest route available with Yamamoto being left with Dino and Romario; since the blonde was a former student of Reborn like much himself and Tsuna, there was no doubt in Harry's mind that Dino knew how to fight and from what he was able to tell from Romario; well, the man definitely had a few tricks up his sleeves.

"I believe that it would be in our best interests for us to splitting in the groups of three or less that way not only will we be able to cover more ground we'll also be able to strength in numbers. Takeshi you're already well acquainted with Dino and Romario, so you'll be with them." Harry began as the taller teen blinked in surprise though eventually smiled. "Haru earlier you said that you knew gymnastics right? I'd be a lot more comfortable with you went with Brow and Broquant, if that's alright you two." As he nodded towards the older males with uncertainty flickering on his face receiving nods in return, nearly making Harry sigh with relief before continuing. "Lastly, Hana I think you're be best suited with Schnitten and Visconti."

The shades wearing man delicately raised an eyebrow. "Now hold on their brat what makes you think that this is for the best and why we should listen to you in the first place?"

"I don't. I'm merely going with what I know from what I've managed to see in the past several hours knowing each other, Visconti. One fact I know is that Coyote and Timoeto are a team for sure, I don't believe for a moment that either one will willingly leave the other behind," Harry stated firmly glancing at the two in question noting the fond smile on one face and a sharp smirk on the other's. "Takeshi has known Dino and Romario for much longer then I have so I feel it makes much more sense for them to work together. I don't know why I placed Haru with Broquant and Brow or why I placed Hana with you and Schnitten, Visconti I'm going with my instincts. And..." Taking a deep breath as his eyes lingered into the older man's. "You're right, you – no all of you, have no reason to go along with what I say. Hell, I'm pretty sure you can come up with a lot better strategy and whatnot than I could. But this is what we got at the moment and none of us can waste any further time. So unless you do have a better idea I'd like to hear it."

The air in the room tensed ending with Visconti and Harry having a stare down with one another. No one dared to say anything at all choosing to watch as the two refused to relent to the other, until a sharp bark of laughter echoed through the room.

"Not bad, brat. No one's ever stood up to me like that before," Visconti praised, a wary smirk manifested on his face reaching over and ruffling his hair. "Alright we'll go along with what you say, for now anyway."

Harry blinked slowly, taking a few moments until the man's words donned on him. "Okay then..."

"I can't believe I'd see that day when big bad wolfie would actually laugh like that," Ganauche commented lazily slouching against the wall. "And here I thought you were just an old bore of a man, maybe it's true what they say. You _can _teach a dog new trick!"

Visconti shot him a stare flickering over towards Harry. "You may want to keep him on a tight leash kid...or maybe in his case get him a muffler!"

"H-HEY!"

The rounds of laughter exploded in the room as Ganauche chased after Visconti out of the room towards the door eventually the others began to pile out leaving Harry being the last one in the room, letting out a huge sigh of relief. It was rather overwhelming. But had it been for the best?

He wasn't so sure anymore.

Suddenly his weight shifted on one side causing Harry to sharply turn to see Yamamoto standing beside him gripping his shoulders wearing a sorrowful, yet encouraging smile. His own hand moved upwards placing upon the other boy's as he stared into the hazel eyes for several moments, nodding slowly. He got the message loudly and clear. He wasn't the only one that was worried about Tsuna, and there were others that were with him that would do whatever it took to find him. They needed to work together if they were planning on succeeding. None of them could afford to let petty differences deter them from carrying out their plan to rescue their friend.

Still there was something that was bugging him. It was strange at how ease Tsuna had been kidnapped especially in a house like Dino's, given how high the man was on the social hierarchy, not to mention Tsuna's own apparent connection to his grandfather, whom was also on the same level as Dino and had bodyguards with him. None of it made an ike of sense.

He stroked his chin falling into deep thought ignoring the worried gleam that was in Takeshi's eyes. "...This doesn't make sense," Harry murmured under his breath his mind racing madly in search of an answer. "None of it does."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Harry glanced at the taller teen. "Doesn't it seem kind of odd how Tsuna managed to get kidnapped in such a short amount of time and made their way to wherever they had gotten to all in the same night? It seemed like it was planned far in advanced."

"It is weird." Takeshi agreed, his easy-going smile slide off his face replaced by a thin contemplating frown falling into a thinking position. "It's like they knew we were going to come here and where our rooms were. Like they knew when we were going to eat and when we were going to head to bed. Like their eyes were on us or something."

The answer sudden hit Harry like an arrow to a target gapping in absolute horror straight. Emerald eyes locked onto the confused amber before darting past the teen heading straight into the front door seeing the others standing around as he made his way over towards the blonde ignoring the presence of the person that Dino was talking too, a sense of familiarity passed through him upon glancing at the streak of red hair on this man, but ultimately dismissed it. Though while he had not meant show rudeness to him, in his mind this was a bit more important than introductions, once his piece was said he would introduce himself then but at the moment this was more pertinent.

"Dino," Harry began firmly gaining the bewildered blonde's attention. "Have any of your staff been acting out of the ordinary; disappearing for long periods of time, dodging questions or making strange comments and excuses?"

The Italian man blinked rapidly at the semi-on slaughter of questions. Once his brain caught up the older went into deep through frowning thinly. "...Now that you've mentioned it..."His words trailed off a spark of concern appeared briefly on his features before hardening considerable. His teeth clutched tightly together becoming angry in mere seconds turning sharply towards the door. "Damn it! Everyone we need to hurry!"

The redhead that was there frowning. "_Dino_?" Speaking in Italian it was clear that he did not understand what was going on, however, he seem surprised by Harry's presence but refrained from commenting.

Dino curved at him appearing to hesitant to say anything to him. His eyes darted rapidly from person to person looking as if he was crying out for assistance several moments later upon realizing there was no way out of the situation he was in took the man over to the side and began to explain in a harsh rushed voice, as the more time that they spent standing around doing nothing the less time Tsuna had. Once finished Dino had returned to where the group was looking a tad embarrassed masking it with his trademark clumsiness that he was known for by nearly tripping over the carpet stumbling towards them as he regained his composure upon rejoining them.

"I hope you've taken care of your business Chiaravone," Coyote growled gruffly sending a pointed glare towards the blonde.

The younger man winced, curling his lips in mild annoyance at the callous attitude, forcing a flimsy smile at the other. "You can say that yeah. I explained the situation and he offered to help us find Tsuna despite my protests he refuses to listen to a word I say. I don't want him getting involved in this, his points, were valid. There is strength in numbers after all. And I can't really convince him otherwise."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Visconti barked a laugh sardonically.

Timoteo held his hand features stern. "Visconti!" The shade man stepped back bowing his head in compliance. "I apologize for my bodyguard's words, Dino."

"No Nono. He's right," Dino averted gaze frustrated at himself. "My inability to protect Tsuna has shown how incompetent I am."

"That, my boy, is debatable." The elderly man spoke up firmly showing the charismatic power that he held had increased upon the stance spoke volumes as to the type of person that he was. There was no doubt in the room to just who the boss of the operation was. "You are young. And human, just like everyone else in this room; beating yourself over something like this is pitiful. We are not perfect beings Dino, this is simply one of life's many lessons that we must learn from, which we shall. In the mean time do try to put your attention into your thoughts so that we can find my grandson. Shall we?"

Dino blinked at the man's words spluttering out his response. "Y-yes sir!"

"Good, I am glad that you agree." The smugness that came from Timoteo was oozing from the beaming smile sharply turning towards the door, raising his sceptre into the air. "Come now everyone time is wasting!" He was closely followed behind by his bodyguards the later being followed by the others.

Takeshi folded his arms to the back of his head grinning slightly up at the newest addition to their rag-team of rescuers. "So what's your name?"

Dino's friend in question complimented the blonde in looks and style reminding Harry of those rockers in bands with his long red hair which was tied back in a ponytail and the sharp tooth like earring, strikingly handsome even though it was clear from the smile on his face that he had no idea what Takeshi had just said; meaning that he did not understand Japanese. Which meant one of them would have to translate back and forth, he felt rather sympathetic to the redhead, still there was something about the man that Harry could not help but find familiar yet was unable to place why.

The frown had remained on his face not noticing Dino leaning over to the other male translating what Takeshi had said, and promptly beamed at the question.

"Bill." The redhead, now known as Bill, at least they could call him by his name."Bill Weasley."

Harry nearly froze his jaw seemingly unhinged.

Well _shit_.

* * *

><p>Timoteo eyed the boy meticulously from the back seat of his limousine he had heard much of the child in front of him in Reborn's reports, the information that had been within them had been met with skepticism and bewilderment. Never before had Reborn ever taken on a student on his own whim, nor a secondary one at that, nevertheless that was what the hitman had done. In the beginning he had dismissed the notion of a matter of means in order to train his future heir further into becoming a good decimo, the reports of the boy had increased, except with a minor difference. Tsuna's reports were usually blunt and honest, callous one could say, nevertheless Reborn made sure that all the facts were stated with only the cold hard truths; which why it had been a such for not only Reborn but himself and his guardians to have discovered that there was next to almost nothing about Harry.<p>

At all.

That alone made him wary around him while Tsuna had spoke in high regard of the boy and the sheer desperation to keep Harry away from the mafia, Timoteo could not simply let this matter rest. From what he had seen the boy meant no harm to any of them, expressing a great deal of worry about Tsuna diving straight into making a plan thinking over it carefully before making his thoughts known to them. Not to mention he had courage to stand up against Coyote of all people, that was no small feat.

Until he learned more about the boy Timoteo decided to keep his opinions to himself and leaving the events that would eventually unfold to see just who Harry truly was.

For better or for worse for the Vongola.

* * *

><p>The teams had been split accordingly. Each taking a different route planning to meet at the rendezvous point rejoining and finding Tsuna, doing with one team alone was a kin to suicide as far as Harry was concerned. However, he was well aware of the facts that plans changed depending upon the circumstances in battle, Ron had taught him that through chess. His friend had told him again and again his main reason for losing was due to trying to save his pieces from being taken, which was true as painful as Harry had forced himself to admit; perhaps that was the reason why he was so reluctant about splitting everyone into groups? Still travelling in a large group was not a wise decision. Splitting was the lesser of two evils and guaranteed the most success from his perspective.<p>

Whether the teams that he split them in were efficient would reveal themselves in good time. Harry wonder if placing Hana and Haru with two of Tsuna's grandfather's bodyguards was such a good idea, the two girls refused to be left behind and being around two of the older gentlemen at least provided them with some form of protection and reliability. It was not that Harry doubted their abilities, quite the opposite, Hana had a frightening intellect and Haru had mad reactionary skills, he just wanted them to be safe as from what he had seen neither of them were experienced in the same manner as Yamamoto, the others and himself. The rigorous training had seen to that.

Even so Harry had faith in the two they were a part of the strange and mismatched group that Tsuna seemed to gather together.

Pushing that thought out of his mind Harry glanced back towards where his other two members were both glancing backwards subtley sharing a slow, sharp but accepting nod, returning it as he slowly lifted the microphone to his lips.

"This is Delta Team we've managed to secure the desire position. Waiting for confirmation, over!" Harry whispered harshly into the microphone lowering it back down again, eyes narrowed directly towards the men wearing business like outfits. Strangely enough, it was not black, but a rather _interesting_, as kindly as Harry was able to put it, shade of blue and...w...was that peach? Who the hell were these guys?

Ganauche arched a brow. "What's your looking at?"

"...What kind of idiot wears bright purple and peach together? It's like their waving a flag _come and get us we're right here!_" Harry said dryly, his brows furrowed mixed with incredulous, mocking and humourless. "Please tell me that these aren't the guys that kidnapped Tsuna."

"Okay then." The teen nearly sighed. "I won't tell you that they are."

"...I..." Harry's focused returned back down below pinching the bridge of his loss trying to comprehend the site that was in front of them. It was like the universe decided to slap them all across the face. This was not what he had been expecting, and they were supposed to take these kidnappers seriously? Then again, his eyes darkened, appearances were very deceiving. First impressions could be mislead easily. Maybe there weren't stupid as they looked.

"They are the Pesca Famiglia. A relatively new family that formed twenty or so years ago, they are not really considered that big of a deal. In fact their utterly laughable in terms of physical might, numbers and even influence in the world. Which isn't all that surprising," Ganauche remarked, his tongue clicked the back of his teeth as he shook his head in mock pity. "Calling yourselves Fishing Peach? Not a good selling point."

Harry did not entirely know what the older male was talking about exactly minus the parts that were important in his mind. Apparently the odds seemed to be tipping into their favour to his surprise and relief, that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down. Not yet anyway.

"Anything else that we should be know before proceeding?" Harry asked, eyes firmly forwards at the harbor.

The man stroked his beard thoughtfully and shook his head grinning cheerfully. "Nope!"

The wizard threw him an unimpressed stare sighing softly afterwards. "I suppose that's good then, still we should at least be cautious once get further into the other side."

"Ya know kiddo," The man's eyes narrowed upon falling on him gauging him closely. "I'm surprised that you haven't at least question of why Tsuna had been kidnapped. I know if I was still your age I probably would have ranted about it."

"Complaining about something as inane is a waste of time. I'm sure there's a good reason to Tsuna's kidnapping, I may not be the most intelligent person in the world Ganauche but I'm not going to pry into other people's secrets; if I want to hear the truth than Tsuna will be the one to tell me." Harry bristled at the older male. At school was an entirely different matter. With all the anomalies were the only reasons that Harry would '_pry'_into other's business. The lives of ignorant students were on the line with just Hermione, Ron and himself being the only means of defense as heavens knew that the Professors wouldn't intervene.

Ganauche stroked his beard again thoughtfully. "You're might mature, oddly I'm not surprised."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry said offhandedly, emerald eyes darted towards their third member. "Think he's okay with this?"

"Hm?" Throwing his head back to the last member, Bill, whom kept a firm eye behind them while recasting _Notice-Me-Not_charms around them. Having the adult wizard around allowed him and Bill to use their magic freely around each other, with Ganauche being a squid, none of them would have to hide their knowledge. It was a win-win. "Seems like to me he did want to come after all!"

His lips pressed thinly together staring at the redhead once again he had dragged another one of Ron's family members into something dangerous. A sharp feeling of guilt twisted painfully in his heart.

"...He should have never become a part of this," Harry murmured under his breath turning away sharply.

The older male hummed. "He came on his own volition. Just like you did."

"Tsuna's my friend...of course I'd come to his aid," Harry expressed under his breath softly.

"In the same way that Bill is Dino's friend." Ganauche retorted not unkindly, nodding slowly.

It was strange that Bill and Dino were close friends; the many adult magical people he had come across were averse venturing into the non-magical side let alone interacting with muggles. Mr. Weasley was the exception, Sirius as well to an extent, his godfather had written many things about the muggle world, besides the two there were no one else. He had gotten glimpse of disapproval of Mr. Weasley's curiosity of things muggle from not just Mrs. Weasley but Percy too. That hardly surprised him due to the older boy's pompous attitude, coming off rather Malfoy-ish, in his words and stature, just the blonde in his hair had been missing and he would have fit right in.

So discovering the two's friendship had been a rather shock to him. He had wanted to ask them further as to how they met and became friends eventually dismissing the idea, it wasn't any of his concern. They were big boys after all.

A noise echoed from the headset capturing his attention. "H-Harry?" The static voice of Dino emerged, broken, but clear enough that it was coherent.

"We're here," Harry replied, hand upon the headset.

"Oh good. We've got confirmation from the other teams, prepare to head in." Dino's voice stated professionally. "Good luck and stay safe."

The ends of his lips tugged lightly snorting into the microphone. "Don't worry I will. You too over, and out!" Harry commented chuckling as the line went dead.

"Time to go then?" Bill questioned, snapping his head towards him tilting in curiosity. On the surface the redhead appeared to be rather calm unfortunately his body told a completely different story, fingers tapping nervously on his arm trying to maintain a cool facade. Not that he could be blamed.

Harry nodded swiftly. "It's about that time, yeah. We have to make this one count guys. We get one and only one shot at this."

It was do or die. There was no other way.

* * *

><p>chapter eleven-end<p>

I hope everyone had a great winter holiday! I apologize that for the long wait and the shortness originally I wanted to make it double the size, but honestly I felt that this was a rather good place for it to end in all actuality. And thank you so much for your reviews!

Also for those who are wondering Rizona, Albito and Pesca are NOT OC characters/family; Rizona and Albito are from the KHR: Heat of Fate series while the Pesca familiga had a minor appearance during the Inheritance Arc in the manga. For those who are also wondering about how Bill and Dino met; that will be brought up, just not now, so please be patient.

Now I want to bring something up; which I think is rather important since I've been discussing this with a few people; notably a few readers, my former beta and a friend of mine about the pacing of this fic. Do you think that the pace of this fic is okay, slow or that I should be speeding up? I do want to hear this and on your thoughts on how I'm handling Gokudera, as I said in the previous chapter, I'm trying to avoid bashing as much as possible.

Anyway still looking for a new beta; so make sure state interest in your review or message me via PM!

Until next time everyone! Make sure to leave a detail review and to check out Torn Pages; a compilation of side-stories, scrapped ideas and much, much more!


	12. Italy Arc III: Progression

Chapter 12:

"Alright let's move," Visconti gruffed harshly, signalling forward with two fingers. His back was pressed against the wall facing forwards waiting in apprehension for Hana and, the other guy, whose name she was unable to remember much to her embarrassment; as she was not the type to be forgetful, and joined the other man's side. Upon arriving Visconti held up his hand brining them to a halt, his brows furrowed, as his lips could barely be seen. Something had captured his attention. He remained in his spot eyeing the direction cautiously, his backhand lowered down to the side swinging impatiently against his leg and brushed against the back of his coat. In a swift motion his arm snapped up and lowered again sliding the hand into his pocket very casually.

Hana knew she missed something. A bright and sharp glint reached flashed before her eyes for only a second, vanishing before her brain could understand what happened. Unfortunately, Visconti had went ahead again forcing her and the other man to follow after him, keeping ample room between them and him. The ceiling above covered in shadows. Since there was no cameras that were in view Hana wondered briefly if they were in the clear or not; however, she was not so naive to believe things were that easy. The place was likely to be crawling with surveillance and guards. One false move and...

A cold shiver ran up her spine which she ignored it. Hana tried not to think of the possibilities, continuing onwards gripping the pole she had brought; while not as glamorous a weapon as like Yamamoto's bat-sword or Gokudera's dynamite, at least what she had was something Hana held confident in handling.

The question remained as to why Tsuna had been taken. What reason was there for it, other than a moment of opportunity?

Just thinking about it made her head hurt trying to figure everything out on her own. The information that had been presented back at Dino's manor had been too little for her tastes. Even so, Hana understood that rescuing Tsuna of was the upmost importance. Who knew what his kidnappers would do to him! Her bottom lip curled, while observing the two men sprint forwards, pressing their backs to against the walls and exchanging a briefly but sharp nod.

The dark skinned man, whose name continued to escape Hana's memory, motioned her over. A brief moment of hesitation passed through her. As Hana did trust the two, was it wise for her to head over? A frown soon marred her features; darkened eyes glanced discreetly at the roofs trying to locate anything that would compromise her position. Feeling slightly more confident Hana hurriedly joined the two by the walls, leaning against the left wall with Visconti. Holding in a sharp sigh of relief, she could feel her heart pounding against her chest. It was starting to finally sink in. This rescue attempt was dangerous. Swallowing thickly, she slowly inhaled and mentally counted to ten before regaining her composure.

Hana could not afford to show weakness, especially not now of all times.

A sudden change in her weight brought her back to reality looking up at Visconti, the man wore a grim yet empathic gaze on his wrinkling features. His hand placed on her shoulder squeezing tightly before turning sharply away.

Stunned by the sudden gesture of kindness from the man, she quickly snapped back to reality in time to see Visconti raised his hand to reveal a ring. The design of the ring wasn't anything special except for the red marking carved around the ring. Within the centre seemed to be red glass that, started to glow quietly beneath the shadows of his chin. She had been exactly at the right angle at the exact moment to gain a glimpse of the red light that burned brightly before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. The gears in her mind began to wind slowly; questions whirled within her, while she masked the stupor expression. Nothing good would come of it. That much she was certain. Nonetheless her curiosity remained.

"Bouche," Visconti whispered, his tone harsh gazing darkly.

Hana felt the urge to smack herself. _'Bouche! Of course that's his name, urgh I can't believe I didn't remember. How stupid can I get?' _At least she now knew the other man's name, feeling a tad embarrassed that she had forgotten. Her pride would not allow her to admit that she had problems with remembering people's names, unless they captured her suspicions or she knew them long enough. Still Still, Hana realized it was not an excuse for not attempting to remember, despite recalling Bouche hardly interacting with anyone at the manor.

Bouche remained silent and stared back. "...I understand." Holding out his hand towards her, Hana blinked. "We must go."

"What about Visconti?" She asked taken aback by the suddenness of his actions. What had she missed?

"He'll be fine, Miss Kurokawa. He needs to do something and thus needs us out of the way in order to do it," the man disclosed subtly, his posture was straight as he led her away from the area, ignoring the inquisitive gaze that she threw at him. "It would be for the best if for you picked up the pace."

Hana flushed briefly. "I'm going as fast as I can!"

Bouche glanced back to her, lips curling into a slight frown. "My apologies, unfortunately, we cannot afford to slow down now. We need to keep going if we are to reach the rendezvous point. Visconti is fully capable of looking after himself, Miss Kurokawa. I assure you he is no slouch when it comes to defending himself, now I must insist on moving more quickly. Remaining in the same place will not do us any good." Despite the polite manner of speaking, it was laced with a strict, hard edge that had not gone unnoticed by her.

It wasn't that Hana was worried about Visconti, since she could tell that he was a fighter. After all the man was one of Timoteo's bodyguards. Her confusion remained as Bouche continued to pull her along until Visconti could no longer be seen in the distance.

Just what had he planned on doing?

* * *

><p>Once the two were out of range, Visconti cautiously removed his hands from his pockets and remained eerily in place, swinging his arms absently. Inhaling softly the elder man's features became tired –almost resigning even, the smile that spread across his face was self-indulgent. Cautiously, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag of it, and swung his arm back down with the cancer stick in hand.<p>

"...Are you going to stand there all day," Visconti called out lazily, snorting. His head turned entering the darkness that stretched from beneath the roof, his eyes reflected within it his posture seemed relaxed. Casual. "Or...are you going to come out and play?" He inquired with a humorless chuckle. With a stroke of his finger the shades that rested on the bridge of his nose were pushed back up, his stance did not change.

Another had appeared from the edge of the shadows, a much younger man wore a pair of shades and a similar suit with the exception of a dark green shirt underneath the jacket. "..."

The elderly male snorted. "Has a cat got your tongue, boy? I suggest you speak before you pick a fight with me."

"...Visconti, the Storm Guardian to Vongola Nono. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to fight you. Nevertheless I shall not lose to you," the younger male said. He pulled out a knife as green electricity wrapped around the steel blade.

A feral smirk slid on his face, eyes dancing with an unreadable expression. Turning towards the other, Visconti bellowed out a laugh. "A dying will flame, and lightning at that! You've got me interested, boy." He gestured them to fight, eagerness rang through his body. Oh how he enjoyed the thrill of battle. "Are you just going to stand there and make nice? I'm waiting for the first move!"

And with that, the battle began.

* * *

><p>An explosion echoed in the distance, the ground shook violently. With the aftershock, everyone had been thrown off guard before panic and chaos erupted throughout the area. Not even an hour into the mission and they had already become compromised.<p>

Dino let out a hiss, throwing his head back, furious and confused. "What the hell is going on Damn it. It looks like we may not be able to reach their rendezvous point if we're caught. Continuing on our own may be the best option at this point. The possibility of the enemy figuring out whom we are may lead them to take more drastic measures to ensure Tsuna's..." His expression and tone took a rather grim tone. A logical maneuver considering whom they were up against. Whether or not they would try to get rid of Tsuna to guarantee their own survival wouldn't be too surprising. Nonetheless, the chances of him being used as a bargaining chip might also be up their alley. His frown deepened even more as the possibilities began to fill his head. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he didn't want to risk doing anything that could bring harm to his younger brother.

There were simply too many outcomes that left the Italian uncertain as to which course of action to take. Locating Tsuna quickly was logically the best decision. Unfortunately, if they were unable to find him...the blond swallowed thickly. They would most likely never find him again.

"Dino," Romario spoke up, snapping the blond out of his thoughts.

The boss stared at the elderly man for several moments, inhaling roughly. "W-what is it, Romario?"

"Might I suggest that we get in contact with the others? We might be able to come up with a backup plan and go on from there," his right-hand suggested calmly, wearing a stoic look. It brought the blond relief knowing that Romario was keeping a cool head even in this situation.

"That's a great idea Romario," Dino agreed nodding sharply. Then he switched his attention to Yamamoto. The teen had a pensive gaze, staring pointedly towards the area where the explosion had occurred. He sympathized greatly with Yamamoto. While he was certainly aware of the prowess that the teen possessed and his adapting to the dangerous and albeit strange events that started upon Reborn's appearance; it was clear that the teen was experiencing his first real battle. And not just him; the others too. A stare of empathy had been sent towards Yamamoto, understanding that the other teen probably had no idea what was going on or what would be happening, and just for that Dino felt sorry for him.

Reality would be crashing down on the taller teen. Dino only hoped that Yamamoto wouldn't break under the weight of it.

* * *

><p>"HIE-IIIII!" Tsuna cried out, tumbling backwards and knocking straight into Albito's side. The blond managed to grab him by the waist, preventing him from falling to the ground. He let out a sharp sigh of relief, and Tsuna shot his eyes up towards him with a grateful smile. "T-Thanks Albito." Quickly readjusting himself from the tall boy's hold, he managed to stand despite the shaking ground. He turned his head sharply towards the window that hanged far above them. The three had made several attempts to trying reach it to with no avail. It seemed almost pointless to try.<p>

Albito bowed his head and frowned. "Something's going on outside." His tone was a cautious one, almost as if he did not trust his own ears. His stance seemed rather relaxed, yet there was a nagging suspicion that the blonde was wary.

"The question is what." Rizona continued, also frowning cynically. Her eyes narrowed, clearly displeased and just as cautious as the other.

Tsuna blinked in confusion. "I-Isn't that a good thing? Wouldn't that mean someone is coming to rescue us?"

"We don't know that, " Albito shook his head firmly. His posture became defensive and his face hardened staring directly at the wall, his arms slid up to his chest. "Just because there's something going on outside, doesn't necessarily mean whoever is causing the commotion is our ally. For all we know, they could be someone even worse."

It took a few moments for that to settle into Tsuna's brain. Someone even worse? Was that even possible? It was almost unthinkable! And it didn't entirely make sense. Who else other than the ones they knew could even be aware of their locations? Tsuna was pretty damn certain that Dino had some method of finding them, and if he didn't, it was more than likely his grandfather probably had a way of doing so. He was, after all, the Vongola Nono. If there was one thing that Tsuna had gripped onto during the torturous session that his demon tutor had placed him through, it was that the Vongola were resourceful.

Very resourceful.

He assumed that they had to have some kind of security network that allowed them to find their location.

"I...don't really think that they're going to harm us," Tsuna tried trying to get the words out. The nagging feeling at that back of his head returned. Upon seeing the incredulous looks from the two, he flushed under them. "I-I don't know why, but it's just a feeling I have. B-besides you guys were taken from your homes right? Wouldn't it make sense for your families to look for you? Or at least for them contact the police?" Suddenly an eerie silence fallen over the cell, Tsuna looked curiously to the two looking each st other with strained faces. Had he said something that he wasn't supposed to? "H-hey Albito...Rizona...what's wrong?"

Alibto's mouth opened, hesitantly. "It's...it's nothing, Tsuna. Y-you're right, they should be our allies." The forceful smile that he gave was not lost on Tsuna. "We should still try to find a way to get out of here."

"...O-okay," The brunet piped up, plastered with a worried smile and glancing between the two. The air around them became rather uncomfortable much to his confusion. What had he said that had garnered such a cold reaction from the two? It felt oddly similar to the initial relationship that he had with Gokudera; stiff, awkward and almost not entirely there. And while his and Gokudera's relationship as friends had improved, if little by little, Tsuna thought he and Albito had hit it off from their first meeting. But now? He wasn't so sure anymore.

Regardless, Tsuna knew that now was not the time to be concerned with such things. They needed to free themselves from their confinement. Staying here any longer could get themselves injured, possibly killed.

"Should we try for the window again?"

Before Albito could even say a word Rizona let out a low snort. "We've tried that and yet, have we succeeded? We should try to pick the lock."

"Didn't you two try that first?" Tsuna inquired curiously.

The two stood staring at him silently, exchanging a look with one another, before turning towards him. "We didn't really think of that, to be honest," Albito admitted truthfully, flushing brightly wearing a stupid grin.

A sudden urge to face-palm washed over him. Opting for a heavy sigh instead, Tsuna levelled the two with a deadpanned stare. "...Alright, then." Deciding that he was better off not asking why they hadn't done so earlier would save him a giant headache. He was simply too tired and annoyed to really care by this point. "Well, do we have something that we can use?" He added. Though Tsuna was uncertain what would be useful. Movies stated a hairpin would work, but that was the movies, not real life. It wouldn't actually work...would it?

"Rizona?" Albito prompted as the girl nodded, swiftly digging straight into her pockets to reveal a small light blue compact.

Tsuna stared. "W-wait they didn't take anything from you two?"

"We didn't have much on us in the first place," Albito answered casually, shrugging his shoulders. "We're targeted late at night safely in our homes. There was no need to. Next thing we know, we were knocked unconscious and ended up here. I guess they assumed we'd be empty handed upon arrival. Though, they seemed to underestimate Rizona here." He gave a faint chuckle and threw the girl a smile.

Tsuna slowly nodded. "That's what happened to me too. I guess...they thought we were easier targets when attacked at night just before bed."

"Apparently," Rizona remarked quietly, pulling out a small, metallic thin strip. "It's not much. But it's better than nothing at all."

"W-what is it?" Tsuna asked eagerly, hoping that they were closed to escaping the cell. All he wanted to do was escape and find his friends. The faster they were able to do this, the better, in his opinion. He couldn't stand being trapped in the cell any longer than he had been.

Rizona pierced him with a glare. "It's a needle."

Tsuna stood in silence absolutely stunned by the revelation, gapping in disbelief. "A-A needle? Is that even going to work on a lock?" his tone oozed with skepticism. There was no way that could work! It was way too movie-ish for his liking, despite previously wondering if a hairpin would work. Relenting, Tsuna bowed his head, sighed and gestured towards the door nearly depleted of energy from the insanity that surrounded him. A part of him hoped that the needle would work and get them out of the cell. Even so, he held a great deal of doubt, being the natural pessimist Tsuna knew he was. Many experiences in his life had made him that way. Better not to get one's expectations up, that way the pain wouldn't hurt as much.

Without another word, Rizona nodded, pushing her arms through the steel poles and lowered down into the lock, sticking the needle inside. Her arms wiggled up and down, biting one side of her lip as she picked the lock.

Tsuna couldn't help but give her points for her tenaciousness.

"How's it coming, Rizona?" Albito inquired. He watching carefully, observing with interest as she went to work.

"Almost," Came the gruff, short response. The sounds of her teeth gritting together echoed in the air, Rizona seemed completely focused on the task at hand. Tsuna watched in admiration, he could see the determination on her face and within her eyes. She was doing everything in her power to ensure that the three of them would be able to escape from the imprisonment. "Just..." Rizona growled. "A bit more!"

A click echoed with the cell door swinging open. She turned towards them, smirking at them and took the first step out of the cell, arching an eyebrow.

"It worked..." Tsuna remained stunned in his spot, nearly gaping at the sight before him. Who knew that needles would _actually_ work for picking locks! Shaking his head and wearing a wary smile, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Albito snapped out of his bewilderment. "Good work, Rizona," he praised her, both amused and surprised. "I should have known if we were able to get out of here, you'd be the one to do it. Let's be on our way then/ I think it's safe to say that the three of us have out stayed our welcome, wouldn't you two agree?"

"You could say that again," Tsuna murmured under his breath. How long had they remained in captivity? Obviously the sun was up, as the light penetrated through the window. He quickly joining Rizona and Albito, then the three of them headed towards the nearest door, which would lead them to the outside, or at least close to it. He was far too relieved at the moment to think it would be difficult to leave the building, his mind was swelling with relief at Rizona's ability of picking the lock. "Let's get out of here."

"Roger that," said Rizona, her lips twitching slightly.

Albito lead the charge towards the door. "There's nothing that's standing in our way now."

As if on cue, the door slammed open forcing the three into jumping in surprise. Their good luck seemed to have run out. Standing before them were five men clothed in black uniforms. On their shoulders were grey pads that extended down, becoming a part of the chest. The guns in their hands were what really caught his attention. His body became paralyzed with fear, finding himself unable to tear away from them. Nevertheless he did note that each of them wore masks in order to conceal their faces.

To make matters worse, their own stupor was what ultimately got them captured, as each of the men in black grabbed them roughly and pointed the guns toward their backs. They pushed them forward through the door. To where, Tsuna didn't know.

And frankly, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know.

_'Please anyone...everyone...help us. Find us!'_

* * *

><p>Everywhere spilled with absolute chaos as men wearing black suits surrounded the area. Fear ran through Haru like a water fall, she was pressed up against the wall, covering her mouth in an attempt to remain quiet. Brow and Schnitten were nearby, checking the route that led to a more secure location. That was if they could avoid all of the enemies in a clear swoop which was highly doubtful in her eyes. There were far too many of them to handle.<p>

Her free arm tightened around her waist, nearly sobbing into her hand. It was finally starting to settle in that there was a high chance that she could die here! The brunette shut her eyes tightly, feeling the tears threatening to slide down her cheeks.

She didn't want to die!

But...Haru remembered that she wasn't the only one that was in trouble. In fact, Tsuna was in the biggest trouble of all! It was at that point when she knew that the others were also going through the same thing she was and that each of them were counting on one another. For his sake. They had all come together in order to save him from the kidnappers, to simply leave him because she was scared was unacceptable. Tsuna wouldn't have left her, Haru wanted to save Tsuna just as much as everyone else did. To run away now because she was scared would make her less than a coward. And Haru was no coward!

Ever since she met Tsuna, her life had never been the same. The strange events that occurred around Namimori brought a sense of excitement into her life that seemed unparalleled. Yet the degree of danger lingered at the back of her mind. Not that she ever really acknowledged it. Haru knew it was there, but the fun that they all had together muted the dangers that came with being around Tsuna, and to an extent, Reborn too, it never seemed important. No matter what the cost she would bring Tsuna back home. Not just for her but for everyone.

In the end that was what they were truly fighting for, wasn't it? Not just to save Tsuna but to make sure that they would all come back in order to make sure those days continued.

"Miss Miura," her thoughts were interrupted as Brow called her name softly, motioning her to where he and Schnitten were standing. Recomposing herself she diligently moved to join the two men by the side. Their backs were discreetly covering her position. Brow threw her a quick gaze. "We need you to stay close to one of us at all times. Do you understand?"

Haru nodded furiously. "Y-yes." That's what she had been doing in the first place! Going off on her own would only get her captured. Or worse. '_I don't even want to think of the possibilities!' _she thought to herself, suppressing a shudder.

Brow gave a tiny smile. "Good." His expression changed quite quickly. Turning serious, he gave Schnitten a sharp nod.

"I'll lead. You two follow behind me, keep a good distance," the scarred man murmured quietly. He swung his hand and gripping onto a long, thick, black object that was obscured by the tail end of his jacket. His fingers wrapped around the object cautiously, resting in that position for several moments before his left arm allowing it to remain near his side. The action was weird as Haru dismissed it as some kind of '_guy'_ thing.

As Schnitten had gone ahead, Haru remained where she was. Her eyes tried to follow on the man's retreating figure, which barely remained within her sights. The sounds of footsteps echoed loudly.

"Don't worry, Miss Miura," Brow reassured her with parental-like gentleness. He flashed her a warm smile that placed her at ease. There was something about it that made Haru trust him and in his words. "Schnitten is a strong man, he is fully capable of handling himself. There's no needed to worry about him, even if he tends to be a bit reckless," the man chuckled lightly, rolling his eyes in a dry manner. Brow held out his hand towards her. "Shall we follow then?"

Haru nodded, placing her hand into his.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the eldest Weasley brother asked, watching Ganauche playing with the strange muggle device. It was a strange rusted red box-like object that hung against a wall filled with colored strings and switches. The men that had been in the building laid unconscious on the floor. There had been few of them, which had made it easier for them to subdue. In fact they hadn't put up much of a struggle.<p>

Ganauche threw him a smile. "Oh don't go worry your pretty little head over this. I know what I'm doing, so just sit back and watch the master at work, hmmm...okay?" Without another word he returned to doing whatever it was he had been up to. At least the older man seemed rather confident, letting out a hum that carried quietly through the air. Bemused by the antics of the older male, Bill resigned himself to observing from the sidelines as his line of sight moved to the third, and last member of their team.

The small raven haired boy was leaning against a wall gazing at the door. Apparently the box that Ganauche was meddling around with was the main source of power to their electricity. Despite his initial ignorance of muggle technology Bill made an attempt to keep up if only to be able to navigate around the non-magical world when called for. That said, it was not as if he lacked any interest in their world. It was mostly due to his father's influence that he gained an insatiable curiosity of the other world, and he believed in firmly that both worlds needed one another in order to coexist.

Perhaps one day them to exist as one community.

Needless to say, that was neither here nor there. As his attention drifted back towards Harry Potter, Bill had been rather surprised to see the young teen in Italy rather than back in Britain. As far as he knew of his family, Harry stayed with his relatives. Though, from what Ron implied his relatives had been less than pleasant. Still, that did nothing to explain his current appearance in Italy and how he seemed to be well acquainted with Dino's little brother.

A frown soon found its way onto his handsome features, he made a mental note to talk with Dino after they had successfully rescued Tsuna from his abductors. Thankfully, with Ganauche already aware of existence of magic, Bill was able to cast a minor invisibility charm upon them in order to avoid detection. Unfortunately, the spell was not nearly as reliable as an invisibility cloak and lasted for a short of time. It was a standard spell that curse-breakers were taught upon entering apprenticeship, under specific circumstances and whatnot when certain situations called for it, the spell was rarely ever used otherwise. For now it was proving to be useful.

"...I wonder how long it will be before they find us," Harry murmured grimly. The anxiety in his eyes was present as he tapped the side of his hip nervously. His body tensed, as if he expected them to be attacked at any second.

Ganauche hummed from behind the box. "Not too long I reckon. I'm surprised that they haven't find the others yet, to be honest with you two."

"You think so?" Harry responded worriedly, the stoic expression broke under the other man's words, showing his more vulnerable side to the two. It was almost complete opposite of from the stories that Bill had grown up with hearing about the boy-who-lived. It seemed unreal, seeing the legendary boy \ be...a normal person. The worry was clear as day; it spoke volumes to Bill. It was slowly beginning to dawn on him that Harry was like everyone else. "We needed to find the others as soon as possible then, we can't remain here for long. Who knows what's happened to them!"

"Calm down, kiddo," Ganauche waved his hand wistfully. "I'm sure they're fine. The others know exactly what they're doing."

Harry shot him an exasperated look. "That's not stopping me from worrying, you realize."

The man shrugged. "I tried."

Harry snorted in response and shook his head, yet a small smile found its way onto his face. After, he redirected his attention back to the door. For that one moment, there had been a softness Bill hadn't seen before.

"What exactly are you doing, anyway?" Bill inquired.

"I'm re-rotating the wires to cut off electricity," Ganauche answered with a grin stretching across his face.

"How's that going to help us?" Bill's brows knitted together in confusion, he understood the basics of electricity, but how would that help them? It sounded more of a hindrance in the long run.

The Italian man's smile grew even wider. "Simple. Creating even more chaos would help stir the uncertain within the ranks, allowing us access to their databases. From there we might be able to find where they're keeping Tsuna."

"We can't assume that they're using computers," Harry pointed out thinly, with a frown.

The man arched an eyebrow. "We can't rule it out either."

The two remained at a stand still, staring back at the other without wavering. Not long did Harry sigh in defeat, relenting to the man's words. Better to be safe than sorry did, hopefully the plan wouldn't backfire on them. The rendezvous had been compromised, forcing them to take matters into their own hands. At least they had solace with the fact that their communications with the other groups was still operational. If things turned for the worse, they would be able to warn the others.

"Done!" Ganauche announced very cheerfully, a smirk slid on his features proud of his accomplishment and turned towards them. "Alright, we're done here. Time to get our asses moving!"

Harry covered his mouth with his hand. A very faint smile could be seen behind his hand it. "I suppose we should be off then. Who knows how long it would be until this place is crawling with them." His eyes narrowed at the thought. "I'd rather not be here when they arrive. Too troublesome for my tastes," he said, wrinkling his nose in irritation, throwing his head back towards the oldest of the trio. "The cell that Tsuna is located should be near here, right?"

"More or less, yes," The man stated waving his hands deeply into his pockets. "Our surveillance satellite was able to pick up the location and get a general map of the area as you are aware."

"So you know where Tsuna is being held, then?" Bill guessed, mentally cheering himself for remembering what a satellite was. "Shouldn't we be on our way there?" Since they knew where the kid was being held, wouldn't it have made sense for them to have headed there?

Why did they have to take a detour? Bill understood that a member of their little entourage had been discovered, thus placing them all in great danger. Ganauche explained his plans of creating chaos among the buildings, forcing the enemy to head towards their current location to check on things. It was at this point where his eyebrows shot up in realization. He was trying to lead them away! A large portion of enemy lackeys were already running around like headless chickens, the others would be drawn to investigate matters, leaving an opening of sorts for the others.

However, that was only in theory. The plan could backfire at any time. Getting too cocky now would only lead to failure. If worse came to worse Bill could use his magic.

Without a moment's hesitation, Harry approached the door and opened it easily. Cautiously his head peeked out to the side and lifted his arm, slowly giving the clear. Sharing a nod the two silently followed the younger boy, until Ganauche cut past Harry and continued as the lead. Since they out in the open, the three moved quickly back into the shadows to avoid being seen by the enemy. So far nothing happened, yet outside the urgent shouting from the lackeys' still echoed loudly. Luckily, it appeared that the others managed to avoid being captured.

Hopefully it would remain that way.

"Seems that we've caused quite a ruckus, wouldn't you say?" The smug tone that came from Harry made the atmosphere a bit lighter as the boy's smirk held a mischievous edge. It turned more serious not too long afterwards. "From here on in, I think it would be safe to head to the cell rather than the rendezvous point. The others are probably heading that way, too."

"We hope," Bill interjected, trying not to be a downer. They didn't know for certain whether the others had similar thoughts about checking out the cells. For all they knew, everyone else decided to remain inconspicuous in order to avoid detection. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the eldest Weasley sibling let out an insufferable sigh, using the invisibility charm again seemed like their best bet to get past the other lackeys. He had just used it not that long ago and reapplying the charm before the time-limit was up seemed pointless in his eyes. The spell needed to finish its course before being re-casted.

Ganauche remained silent. "Nothing to do but continue, I guess. You still have the communicator, right kiddo?" At Harry's sharp nod, the man smirked. "Call them up then. They should get an update on what's happening-"

"Or you could turn around, instead of standing there like a moron," chipped a sharp feminine tone causing the three to snap to the side to see a less than pleased Hana standing behind them, folding her arms against her chest. Her smirk held a hint of smugness within it. She seemed to enjoy the shocked silence that settled on them. "Flies, boys." As if in unison all three of them clamped their mouths shut as her grin seemed to grow.

"H-hana how did you...?" Harry trailed off, his brows furrowed in confusion to the girl's sudden presence.

"Find you," the brunette continued his sentence, an arm fell to her side. "Bouche used his communicator to track you guys. Right?" Hana turned to the side as the dark skinned man appeared from the side wearing his usual expressionless gaze.

Bouche nodded, slowly. "Yes, this is correct. We separated from Visconti not too long after the operation began. As far as we are currently aware, he is holding off a small portion of the Persca forces near the split point. Unfortunately, the two of us have yet to meet up with the others. I sincerely doubt that they are too far behind us." His stance was stiff, remaining completely in place as he announced his report. Bill couldn't help but think that the man was being a tad too formal for his liking.

"Visconti will be fine on his own; the old bat always loved a good fight," Ganauche chuckled, grinning cheekily. "I bet you he's kicking ass and taking names like no tomorrow!"

"That does seem to fit Visconti," Bouche murmured, turning away to hide the tiniest of smiles, apparently agreeing with the other man's words.

"So what does that make the two of you then?" Harry inquired, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Ganauche grinned approaching Bouche and draped an arm on his shoulder. "Isn't it obvious, kiddo? Visconti's the fighter, Coyote's the hardass, Brow's the all-around polite guy, Schintten's the misunderstood nice guy, I'm the handsome one and Bouche is the stoic bastard!" He said, waving his hand about.

"...I'm not stoic," the dark skinned man chided flatly, pinning him with a cold stare.

"But you never show emotion!" Ganauche retorted.

Bill almost snickered, seeing the look on the man's face. One could say that it was rather cute. "I don't think Bouche is that bad," he interrupted in an attempt to try and mediate between the two men. Though Bill was well aware that a fight wouldn't break out between the two, call it brotherly instincts, he just knew. Perhaps it was the family-like bond that the two seemed to share that made Bill believe it. "He balances you out."

"What's that supposed to mean!" the Italian man said, switching hisattention to Bill frowning with an almost angry gaze, which he knew wasn't serious.

"Nothing!" the redhead grinned innocently in response.

Ganauche rolled his eyes and folded his arms together, letting out a mocking huff. "You guys are no fun."

A chorus of quiet laughter bubbled up within the small group, albeit even Bouche had cracked another smile. The air become lighter, but it didn't last for long. The sounds of rushed footsteps quickly reached their ears, and as a response took defensive stances. Bouche stepped in front of Hana, holding out an arm to protect her and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles from his coat pockets. Ganauche gripped his gun loosely just barely visible from his sleeve, their eyes focused towards the source where the sounds came from. Much to Bill's surprise, it seemed that he was the only one who lacked a muggle weapon. Hana gripped the pole she had against herself tightly, appearing nervous.

Even Harry had a weapon! Pulling out pair a of muggle wands – guns he recalled. Licking his lips, Bill watched on with apprehension, hearing the footsteps grow louder and louder.

At the very edge of the corner, a shadow loomed and revealed a silhouette of the figure ahead of them. The person was too far to make out any distinct characteristics. For the moment they were all in agreement viewing the figure as an enemy.

Without a moment's hesitation, Bouche lunged towards the figure. raising his knee and colliding with the figure's side. He swiftly moved his foot and tripped. In a swift motion, his cane twirled around his shoulders, landing into the opposite hand before it shifted upwards slamming into the enemy's face. The dark skinned man jumped backwards by a few feet, narrowly dodging the second man in black slashing him with a small knife that flashed yellow. Swipe after swipe, the man attempted to inflict harm on Bouche, who whacked the man's arm with his cane, followed by smashing his elbow straight into the other man's head, knocking him unconscious.

Unfortunately, it seemed that there had been a few more, and two others donning black charged at him furiously. One of them had a pair of sai and the other had nunchaku. Both simultaneously attacked Bouche, whom used his cane to deflect said attacks dodging in tandem.

A blur brushed past Bill, placing him into a stupor until he snapped out of it upon seeing Harry jumping into the fray to help fight. Ganauche was not too far behind him, and a Hana hesitated before brandishing the pole in her hand and lunged after the two. He couldn't help but stare in astonishment, watching the three's teamwork. The one with the sai slashed at the girl's pole capturing it in a hold as she forcibly pushed them upwards. This created an opening which Harry exploited by crouching from below before shooting up, delivering a sharp uppercut sending the man off of his feet and landed on his back, out cold. The final one seemed to be stronger, opposed to his comrades.

The fact he was able to take on Ganauche and Bouche together without breaking a sweat said much about his fighting prowess. His arms and hands moved rapidly, the nunchaku switched hands and knocking up against opposition. Ganauche made his move whipping out his gun and directing it towards the man's hand, only for it be and received a kick the face, causing him to stumble backwards wincing, Ganauche was left wide open for the opponent's slash.

Thankfully, Hana had been a tad quicker tham all of them, raising her pole and slamming it against the man's head. A loud '_thump_' echoed hollowly.

Slowly, a strained but proud smile blossomed onto her face. "That...that wasn't too bad," she stated, her body shook a bit, but overall she seemed relatively fine.

All of them had done something...except for him. Bill had remained exactly where he was, he had been entirely useless during the small fight. Massaging his temple, Bill didn't understand why he had frozen up, it just happened. He dismissed the issue of not being used to fighting as the others were.

A sharp cry from Harry snapped the redhead out of his thoughts, whirling around in time to see a man in black holding up a club that was ready to strike him down at any moment. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up and promptly fell to his knees before passing out straight onto the floor. Bill's eyes flickered from the unconscious man and found himself staring into the surprised gaze of Haru, and with Yamamoto whom popped out from behind, staring at the unconscious with interest.

"Haru! Takeshi!" Harry cried out, looking relieved with a soft smile on his face. "You're both okay!"

A melodic chuckle flew through the air. "We had a few problems finding our way, but we managed," Brow appeared from the roof, landing perfectly to the ground, turning elegantly towards them. He cleared his throat. "You'll all be pleased to know that Schnitten has located Tsunayoshi. He's currently tailing them as we speak. The three of us got separated as a fight broke out upon making our way to the rendezvous point. It seems by chance that all of us have ended up together. Not exactly the place we were initially aiming for. At least we can count our blessings for meeting up and that none of us have been harmed."

Harry agreed with that assessment nodding his head with a small smile, which was quickly being replaced with a tight frown. "Where are Dino and Romario?"

"They're fine, they're fine!" Yamamoto reassured approaching Harry and wrapping his arm in a headlock. A soft gaze passed through his hazel orbs briefly, a smile etched on his face. "They went to go and give Schnitten some back up, no worries!"

"At least he isn't alone," Hana backed-up the baseball teen.

Bill wondered, none of them had an exact idea of how large the forces that covered this place were. For all they knew, they could in fact be completely surrounded by this point, even with Visconti holding off a bunch of them near the entrance. He didn't doubt the man's formidable strength, especially from what Bill was able to tell. He was no pushover; that was for certain. But even he was only human. Unfortunately they were all too far in now to simply turn tail.

"We should go and join up with them," Harry stated, running his hand through his hair, determined. Somehow Bill wasn't surprised when the emerald pools darted to Brow. "How far are they from us?"

"Not that far." Brow answered immediately, eyes dancing with approval. His arm pointed towards the direction where the others were. "We noticed Tsuna being carted away with two other unknowns heading towards a building at the far end."

A frown marred his features as his eyes flashed with uncertainty, before his lips curled up. "Alright, let's move out. We can't keep the others waiting. And besides Tsuna's waiting for us too." Flashing a smile at the others, he moved towards the direction that Brow had pointed out. An air of charisma seemed to hover around him seemingly pulling the rest of them along, as Bill slowly followed after him.

Yamamoto grinned widely. "That's right!"

"Hahi!" Haru threw her arm into the air, smiling brightly.

Hana crossed her arms, smirking at him. "Hm, you got a plan, then?"

The only response they received was a sly smirk Harry continued. Whatever he had in mind, Bill knew that it was going to be astonishing. That much was certain. Yet why couldn't he get rid of this curling dread that seemed to settle in him?

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 End.<p>

And the chapter finally comes to a close. I'm sorry for lateness I ended up hitting writer's block, but now it seems to have finally disappeared. Make sure to read the next chapter, after all who knows what will happen?

Also I want to thank everyone who reviewed your guys are awesome and my brand new, beta doodle808, he is awesome so give up a big hand everyone!


	13. Italy Arc IV: Endgame

Chapter 13: Italy Arc IV Endgame

"Is everyone ready?"

The plan to save Tsuna had ultimately been decided. The plan? Charge in through the front doors and through the windows, taking the enemy by surprise. Granted, the plan followed the 'guns ablazing' method, reckless at best, but time was short. They couldn't afford to waste anymore. Gathering what courage he had and swallowing the fear lodged in the back of his throat, Harry glanced at the team consisting of Takeshi, Bill, Dino, Hana, Haru and lastly Bouche. In unison they nodded, charging through the front. The room erupted, not a second later, with bullets whizzing by them, one barely missed grazing the side of his cheek. His eyes sharpened upon the hot stinging, and his arm shot up, knocking the handle of his gun into the side of one of the men. He quickly raised his knee, connecting with the man's stomach and sending him to the floor.

Bouche whisked behind him, slamming his cane to the back of another man's head, rendering him unconscious. Not a moment later, the cane switched hands and began to spin rapidly, blocking the barrage of bullets being shot at them.

"Lay low," Bouche murmured, his eyes focused in front. "And keep your eyes peeled."

Slowly, Harry swallowed, nodding stiffly to the man's words. He was rather stunned; if Bouche hadn't saved him, he would have been riddled with bullets. His hands gripped the handles of his guns and crouched slightly. In the midst of the battle, Harry could see the smallest details of Tsuna's hair. Inhaling sharply, he darted to the left, jumping over an unconscious body, but jerked backwards when another drew a knife at him. The sharp edge drew closer, flashing against his glasses and almost nicked them into the air had Harry not jumped back a few feet, re-establishing some distance between them.

His eyes narrowed as he tightened his hold on his gun. Harry knew full well that the man was attempting to kill him. The danger shone in his face as his teeth gritted together. His opponent would not relent, continuing his assault.

'_Damn it_,' Harry thought, eyes focused on the man. _'I can't find any opening!' _

The knife was starting get closer once again. He had to act quickly! But what? Shooting him was an option, but not one that Harry was willing to risk. The chances of missing and having the strayed bullets hit someone he knew were high. He had to rely on another way to defeat this guy. Opting to use the guns as a whole to block the knife, the sounds of clashing metal echoed repetitively; the two crushed their weapons against each the other in an attempt to overpower the other. The knife chipping at the gun made Harry uncertain of how much longer he'd be able to hold his ground, as the other man seemed much stronger. Feeling his arms beginning to weaken, he saw the flash of triumph in his opponent's eyes.

A spark of anger flooded him suddenly, and he felt his strength returning full-force. Harry smirked upon seeing the horrified expression on his opponent's face. Now it seemed that the tables had finally turned!

Harry moved quickly as he managed to remove the knife from the man's grip and throw a punch to his stomach, forcing the man down and, as Harry span around, he landed a kick to the side of his face. By no means was Harry an expert in fighting, as he barely possessed any knowledge at all, with the exception of Dudley's action movies he had seen as a child. Nevertheless, they had proven to be sufficient, given the current circumstances. Harry eyed the man, before shaking his head gently and returning his attention to the fight. Everyone was fighting in some fashion. Hana was standing in front of Haru, defending her with the pole she had brought, with Bill using his fists to aid. It appeared that the eldest Weasley knew to avoid using his magic in front of the others, which was a relief. Then again, it didn't surprise Harry.

Shaking that thought away, his focus had returned to finding Tsuna. It seemed nearly impossible after losing sight of his friend; nevertheless Harry refused to give up. His head snapped around rapidly, trying to find some hint to the brunet's location within the chaos surrounding them.

"Got ya!" A snarl echoed from a muscled man wielding a crowbar. Skidding to the side he managed to avoid getting whacked by this new opponent as the brute smirked crudely at him. "I ain't letting you get away from me, brat!" the man said, letting out a loud and obnoxious laughter that reminded him of Crabbe and Goyle.

'_Maybe this is what they'll look like in the years to come. Big, ugly and still stupid,' _Harry thought bemused, as he kept his guard up. "That remains to be seen."

The brute's grin remained, tapping the crowbar to his head steadily. "The pipsqueak thinks he can take me on? What a laugh," he said, slashing his arm downwards. "You won't be able to beat me!"

The sad thing was that the brute had been right. Harry had gotten tossed around by his arm alone. He was getting thrown to the ground, against the wall and anything else that got in the way. The bruises on Harry's body ached in pain as he forced himself from the ground. Harry was no stranger to pain, and he ignored the throbbing throughout his body and panted harshly.

"Is the baby going to try again?" the brute mocked openly. "Why don't you go run home to your mommy! It's goin' to be a thousand years before you can take me on, brat!"

"Like hell I'm giving up," Harry grunted, his eyes locked on him. Though Harry knew that there wasn't a chance in hell that he could honestly beat the man, he was far too strong for him to handle alone. But right now, he could only rely on himself. "Bring it on!"

A disgusting grin formed on the brute's face. Filled with bloodlust and glee, he dashed towards him while spinning the crowbar in his hands. Harry had been fast enough to avoid it only to get hit by the man's arms. There had to be some opening that he kept missing, but where could it be? His lips pressed tightly together waiting for the inevitable strike to land. His eyes remained open, allowing Harry to time his dodging. As he rolled under the crowbar, he skidded across the ground as his legs kicked up, pushing him a few feet back. Just at the exact moment the brute spun around, his free hand formed into a fist hurtling towards him at a rapid speed.

His throat had gone dry and his eyes shut tightly, waiting the collision to hit. No matter how many times Harry tried to dodge the arm always seemed to hit, however, he wasn't afraid of more pain. Even if it meant that Tsuna would be saved, then that was fine. His friend was far more important. Instinctively, he raised his arms around his face. Yet as he waited for the strike ... nothing happened.

He slowly lowered his arms a bit to see what had happened. His arms fell, swinging at his side, stunned by the sight before him.

"Maa, maa," Takeshi remarked, holding his blade sideways to block the arm from reaching Harry. The taller teen threw a large grin to him, as Hana and Haru stood behind him. "You alright now, Harry? It looks like you could use some help!" he said, giving out his trademark laugh.

Hana spun the pole in her arm until the tip pointed towards the brute. "We'll lend you a hand!"

"We can take him on!" Haru interjected determinedly, holding up her fists and falling into a defensive stance.

Harry remained on the floor still stunned by what he was witnessing, an odd feeling washed over him. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the three. He couldn't decipher what the feeling was; nonetheless, Harry smiled and shook his head. Calmly, he inhaled before approaching his friends and held up his guns, pointing them directly at the brute. Now that his friends were fighting by his side, he knew that there was a chance to finally beat the brute.

"Alright," Harry agreed, giving a short nod. "Let's do this together."

The brute seemed to find that amusing and grunted. "Aww you need the help of your little kiddie friends? I'll show you little brats what happens when you cross the Pesca!" he said, raising the crowbar before swinging it down, aiming straight for Takeshi.

The baseball player anticipated the attack, jumping to the side and barely managing to get out of the way in time, as he skidded on the ground to the side. Hana moved in, lodging the pole straight into the brute's face and knocked him off balance. Not wasting any time, Haru flipped forwards and landed in front of the enemy. She used her arm to spin herself around, knocking the crowbar out of his hand. Then, she threw her fist forward into his stomach, forcing him to clutch it in pain. Not risking any chances, Harry lunged forward to finish him off, repeating a previous move he used on his first opponent by slamming the side of his gun into the brute's side.

Harry smirk in satisfaction, watching as the brute fell to the floor and shook the ground in the process.

"So it is true what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Hana remarked smugly, digging her pole into the ground. Apparently, she enjoyed the fighting a bit too much.

Takeshi rolled his arms, grinning widely. "That wasn't too hard!"

"Maybe for you," Harry shot at him flatly, and snorted. He sighed, glancing briefly to the brute before dismissing him. There was no need to give him any attention. His brows knitted, confused by the three. "Wait ... weren't you guys fighting your own opponents?"

"Coyote and the others charged us with finding Tsuna," Haru piped up happily, rubbing the back of her neck. "They're taking care of the much stronger guys for us." A blush could clearly be seen on her cheeks. Obviously she didn't have much faith in her fighting abilities. As a grin formed on her face, she clapped her hands together. "So let's go find Tsuna-san!"

Harry folded his arms against his chest glancing away from them. "I caught a sight of Tsuna, but ... I lost him during my fight."

"Hey don't worry about it, Harry!" Takeshi grinned widely, draping an arm over his shoulder and waved his hand. "We'll find him, we just need to keep our eyes peeled."

"It can't be too hard to find him," Hana pointed out, dryly. The side of her lips twitched rather fondly as she focused at the front, taking everything in slowly. Her eyes narrowed in full concentration. She tilted her head down slightly as her brown eyes moved back and forth across the battle, not wanting to miss anything. Everyone waited in silence. If anyone could spot Tsuna, it would be her.

"Well?" Takeshi prompted, his fingers tapped against the handle of his sword lightly.

The girl didn't even spare him a glance. "Don't break my concentration," she snapped at him quietly, completely focused at the task at hand.

The taller teen smiled apologetically in response and took a step back. Harry shook his head, bemused by all of it as he and Haru exchanged a smile. It was funny how their two friends interacted with each other. They played off of each other rather well, in Harry's opinion. Almost like Hermione and Ron, except there was a level of understanding that his friends didn't really seem to share. At that moment, he felt a stab of pain in his stomach before shaking it off.

Now was not the time to get sentimental over his friends back in England.

"There!" Hana snapped him out of his thoughts as her arm shot up, pointed towards the upper floor. Tsuna was standing there with the other two that Brow had informed them of and four men wearing black. The fear and horror in his friend's eyes could be seen from a mile away.

"C'mon then, we can't keep Tsuna waiting for us!" Takeshi remarked. His grin seemed to take a sharp edge to it as he charged towards Tsuna.

Hana sighed irritably at him. "Wait for us, you idiot!" she said. Not even a second later did she rush after him, dragging Harry and Haru behind her. As the three caught up with Takeshi, whom was now leading the charge up the stairs, it seemed that the last of their forces had taken to keeping an eye on Tsuna. None could be seen once they had reached the bottom of the stairs. Regardless, it made things easier for them. While the enemy had noticed them, only two of them approached, pulling out their own weapons. One of them had a gun and the other had a pair of brass knuckles.

Unfortunately for those two, Harry and the others had the advantage, especially with two girls on their side, who neither had any probably whacking the two down below the belt. With Takeshi hitting them with the end of the handle of his sword, and the other with the side of his arm, they continuing up the stairs.

"You know," Takeshi began slowly, stepping over the unconscious guy as he gave the two girls a small, nervous smile. "You're both brutal."

Haru and Hana smiled. Creepily. "Thank you!"

"Please don't do that. That's really eerie," Harry said flatly, they sounded _way _too cheerful and the fact they had done it simultaneously made it even more so. The only response he received in return had been happy smiles. Deciding not to push his luck, he dropped the subject entirely.

"Everyone!" Tsuna choked, struggling to tear away from one of the men's holds, he almost smiled as his brown eyes shined with happiness and relief before he had been grabbed by the back of his collar. He jerked back into the man, whom held him roughly. The brunet let out a small gag and struggled to release himself from his hold. "A-argh!"

"Another step closer and I'll slit his throat!" the man threatened, pulling a knife to Tsuna's throat, his tone menacing.

Harry froze on instinct, as did the other three. Everything fell into a stand still. He knew from the man's voice that he would slit Tsuna's throat without hesitation. As he swallowed thickly, he nodded his head. "... We won't do anything tricky," he said slowly. "Just ... put the knife down."

The man's lips curled, letting out a sneer that surpassed Snape's. "Do you really think I'm stupid like the rest? The moment I put my knife down, you'll try to save your little friend. Sorry brat, it isn't going to be that easy." A cold smirk appeared. "Instead, how about you place your weapons on the floor? Slowly, one by one."

Takeshi let out a sharp grunt, glaring at the man loathingly. He carefully knelt down while his eyes remained on his friend. Once that had been done, he moved back up and Harry followed his example; Hana did the same long after he did. Haru didn't have anything on her, instead she tightening her fists with an angry expression. He could hear her gritting her teeth loud and clear. None of them moved after they had relinquished their weapons.

"Heh that's good, brats!" the man snarled, turning to his companion and giving a sharp nod as the last and final one gathered their weapons in his arms. The smirk remained on his face, but had been filled with arrogance and smugness. "Now ... what to do with you? I certainly can't let you go, not after the trouble you've caused."

"You won't get away with this," Haru declared boldly, eyes narrowed.

The man snorted. "Oh really? And just who's going to stop me?" Still gripping Tsuna rather tightly, he approached her. He tapped the edge of his knife at her chin, tilting Haru's head upwards. "Maybe I should keep you for _entertainment._"

That seemed to be the keyword to make Haru snap. Her hand was frighteningly quick as it connected with the man's face and caused him to stumble. He releasing his hold on Tsuna, whom fell to the floor, stunned by the brunette's actions. However, she wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot. Haru seemed to fly, sending another punch to the man's face, followed by a spin kick. She performed another flip, only this time she landed on her hands and slammed both of her feet under the man's chin, sending him flying into the air and over the railing. But that hadn't been the end of it as her attention fell to the other man, who had begun to back away from her.

Thankfully, one of the other captives did her a favor by head butting him in the stomach, while the girl bent down to her knees causing the last captor to stumble backwards and throwing the weapons into the air. Thankfully none of them had gone over, as Takeshi leaped for his precious bat-sword and Harry grabbed his guns. He grinned at feeling them back in his hands again, but his attention had drifted back to Haru as he witnessed the girl push him over the railing with no remorse as the last man let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"H-Haru ..." Harry said, uncertain whether to be awed or horrified.

"I am no one's _entertainment_!" the brunette girl snarled viciously, her expression was positively seething. She remained still, staring at them with a heated yet frightened expression, Hana and the blonde girl moved towards her.

"She did the right thing," the blond boy stated seriously, he knelt down, helping Tsuna back up. "You alright?"

Tsuna nodded slowly, coughing slightly. "I-I'm fine," he stuttered, coughing again with a small smile. "Thanks, Albito."

"No problem," the blond boy, Albito, replied with a kind smile. His eyes darted back to the girls. "She'll be fine. It will take time though."

Tsuna blinked curiously, not understanding what he had meant, even Takeshi looked rather confused. However, Harry knew exactly what he meant though, he doubted that the two men had met their ends. Broken bones? Most likely. He sincerely doubted that they'd ever see them again anyway.

"So you're Albito? Name's Yamamoto Takeshi, or Takeshi Yamamoto in your language!" The baseball player beamed, happy to meet a new friend, and grinned widely at the bewildered look on the blond's face. The taller teen was always very friendly, no matter how serious the situation seemed to be. Nevertheless, it helped ease the tension, allowing them some form of normalcy within the chaos. Introductions had quickly flown.

A soft hum had reached his ears, alerting him to one of the men that Takeshi had knocked out, weakly holding up a gun. Harry felt his body move on its own as the sound of a bullet pierced the air. An echo of screams erupted just afterwards.

He felt something slam into his chest, propelling him back. Harry shut his eyes in shock, before stumbling back a few steps, and slipping to the ground. A sharp groan managed to escape his lips as a sharp pain throbbed from where the bullet struck. He suddenly felt light-headed while trying to comprehend what happened. He hissed slightly afterwards upon touching his chest, Hana instantly dropped to her knees and began to unbuttoned his shirt while the others took care of the shooter. The pain was almost unbearable and Harry panted harshly. Once his shirt had been opened, a bullet-proof vest that Timoteo had given to each of them was seen. Since all them were young, the man didn't want them going into enemy territory without some form of protection.

"Hold still!" Hana snipped at him.

Harry shot her a glare. "Easy for you to say, you didn't get shot!" The vest had been undone to reveal a massive reddening where the bullet had nearly ended up. With Hana's help, he had been able to remove the bullet from the vest. The pain had lingered much to his displeasure as he moved abruptly, wincing.

The girl scowled him. "Idiot! You moved too quickly, it's not going to heal immediately, you know!"

"Yeah," Harry grunted holding the wound, with a sarcastic smirk. "I know ..."

"Boys. You're monkeys!" Hana exclaimed in exasperation, rolling her eyes. She returned to her normal stance as her eyes rested upon him, he arched an eyebrow upon her scrutiny. "Can you stand up?" she questioned, her voice almost soft and concerned.

Could he stand? "I think so," he stated, slowly rising back up. It was rather difficult to breathe, so he took his time talking as the pain returned full-force once he began moving. He flashed a rather weak smile at her; it amused him to be on the receiving end of her snorts. His gaze landed on Takeshi sitting on the gunmen, having taken away the weapon, and Albito with Rizona standing on the other. "I'm assuming that's the last of them, right?" Harry asked, while he used the wall for support to stand back up. Emerald eyes darted to Tsuna noticing him comforting Haru by holding her tightly.

Hana crossed her arms. "I hope. I don't think we can take on another group of them ..."

Harry had to agree with her on that one. All of them were exhausted from the fighting, almost toppling over one another. They needed a break. A long break at that. Albito and Rizona had joined them upon finding Dino and the others, discovering that the members of the Pesca Famiglia had been rounded up and taken into custody. Unfortunately, one of Dino's staff, a maid, had been a mole planted into his service. Not only her, but two others that held no connections to the Pesca had been revealed to be traitors, as they had been promised wealth and power, much to Harry's disgust. There was nothing lower then a traitor who sold out someone out for materialistic values.

His heart went out to the older blond, somewhat understanding what Dino must had been going through once finding out the truth. Yet, the Italian man's expression had remained stoic and well composed, eyeing them distantly before turning away in dismissal.

Perhaps that had been the lowest blow of them all; not even acknowledging their existence.

"How are all of you holding up?" Dino asked, concerned, once they entered one of the limos that Tsuna's grandfather called for them. His body squirmed back and forth, a faint frown marred his features upon questioning them.

"I'm alright!" Takeshi declared, throwing his arm into the air, his trademark grin plastered on his face. However, a slap from Hana quickly got rid of it, as the tall teen winced, letting out a sharp hiss.

"You were saying?" The raven haired girl arched an eyebrow.

"Kurokawa is so mean!" Takeshi remarked, rubbing the area she slapped.

Hana smirked indulgently at him. "And don't you forget it."

"Is she always like this?" Dino asked, torn between bemusement and uncertainty. Haru and Tsuna both nodded in unison causing the blond to laugh. "Well I guess that's fine, she keeps you guys on your toes!"

Haru giggled at the response and Tsuna gave Dino a flat look. In all honesty, Harry didn't really think she was all that bad and he knew for a fact that Hana had a good heart in her. Though, he did rather agree with Dino's statement; Hana always seemed to make them more aware of everything, and questioned things when no one else did. Most of the time anyway. The fact she had fallen for one of Reborn's silly outfits annoyed him, how could anyone fall for it? Nonetheless, Harry saw Hana as one of his closest friends. Even if her sarcasm got out of hand every once in awhile, he still cared for her ... and for the others greatly.

"I'm sure she isn't that bad," Bill commented, struggling to conceal a smile. The eldest Weasley had come with them back to Dino's manor, mostly because him and Dino had something to talk about, but never got to because of what had happened. The other two, Albito and Rizona, had been escorted home via Timeoto's guardians, for reasons that none of them knew.

"Don't be too sure about that," Tsuna murmured quietly, eyes staring pointedly outside.

"What was that Sawada?" Hana questioned in an oddly cheerful voice.

"N-nothing!"

"That's _exactly _what I thought."

The limo had erupted in laughter. The rest of the ride back to the manor had gone without a hitch. The four teens proceeded inside quickly, each of them wanting to take a nice long rest. They were barely standing as it was, their bodies completely drained from worry, the fighting, and from being cooped up in the limo. Harry could barely stand any longer, his legs felt like jelly as he forced himself to climb the stairs back up to the room, Tsuna and Takeshi trailed not too far behind. The sluggishness of his body began to win over once he had gotten near enough to the bed as he flopped onto it, quickly followed by the two. Takeshi and Tsuna fell beside him on either side with him in the middle as the three quickly drifted off to sleep as the world around them faded into darkness.

His dreams whirled around his mind rather pleasantly compared to the previous night. It was nice to finally get a good night's sleep. For once Harry felt like he didn't have a care in the world. Within the dream world circled happy dreams: the future days that could be spent hanging around his friends and how soft the pillow felt against his head.

The next morning came slowly as Harry had woken up in surprise seeing his two friends continuing to lay there, sleeping away beside him. He let out a soft chuckle, seeing their smiles. There was no way that he wanted to disturb them. Carefully, Harry manoeuvred himself off the bed and quietly padded out of the room, but spared one last glance at them before heading downstairs, where he discovered that he wasn't the only one up.

To his amusement Bill was wearing a blue bathrobe and drinking from a white cup, leaning rather casually against the ledge of the counter looking rather happy.

"Morning, Bill," Harry greeted, a grin grew widely, witnessing the redhead choke on whatever he was drinking. His lips curled up trying to control a snicker, watching the older male cough a few times. "Sorry, Bill!"

The redhead shook his head, getting out another cough. "I-It's fine!" He gave a weak smile. "I'm surprised to see you up by now."

"I had a good night's sleep!" Harry laughed moving over to join him. "Wanted to sleep longer, but it seems that my body had other thoughts." He tilted his head. "What time is it anyway?"

"Half-past noon," Bill answered nonchalantly.

His eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as he stared up at the other wizard. "I hadn't realized that I slept that long. Guess I was more exhausted then I realized," Harry murmured, stunned to how late he had slept. His body felt sore from yesterday, and the bruise from the bullet remained. The pain from the bruise spread through his body, making it presence known as he hissed upon moving his shoulder. "Agh ... "

"Your wound," Bill remarked, lips pressed together with concern. As he fell silent, he looked down at the ground. "I wasn't much help in the fight was I? Absolute rubbish, I was."

Harry gave a weak smile. "It still hurts. I'm fine. Stiff, but fine." The smile soon turned into a major frown, shaking his head in disagreement. "No. You weren't rubbish, Bill. You did what you could without breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Besides, that invisibility charm helped us."

"Thanks, Harry." The curse breaker gave a tiny smile, still appearing rather troubled. "I guess I don't have to bring up a potion to make it better. You plan on having it heal the normal muggle way," the redhead stated calmly, arms folded against his chest and his eyes on him.

Harry remained silent to the claim, but nodded several moments afterwards. "Yeah. Besides, it would look odd if the wound just happened to be better by the time everyone wakes up. I'd rather not arouse any suspicion, and either way it isn't that bad anyway." He laughed easily, ignoring the pain.

Bill arched a brow. "Well ... I suppose if you're alright with it, and you do have a point. It would look awfully suspicious," he murmured, stroking his chin. "I hope I'm not prying, but how exactly did you end up in Japan? Ron hasn't gotten any mail from you lately. He's worried, as is Mum and the others." He gave a pointed stare that nearly made Harry squirm uncomfortably. The wizard shook his head, smirking thinly. "No. It's none of my business, but you should probably contact them and let them know that you're okay."

"I know," Harry murmured, it wasn't that he didn't want to contact them at all. There was never a good enough time for him to get around to it, and he had been so busy with surviving in Japan and hanging out with Tsuna and the others. "I'll ... try to contact them when I can."

"Good." Bill leaned over, proceeding to ruffle his head, grinning ear to ear as he did so. Harry shot him an irritated glare. "You're going to head back to Japan with Tsuna and the others, right?"

"Probably," the teen stated slowly and cautiously. Where was Bill exactly going with this?

"That's quite a flight for your owl to make," Bill continued thoughtfully, offering a kind smile. "If you want, I can deliver a message for Ron, you know, at least putting his worries at ease and all that?"

Harry blinked. "You'd do that for me?"

"You're my kid brother's friend," Bill pointed out. "And we did fight alongside each other to help save your friend, so I'd like to think that we're friends in some fashion. If you'd like, that is."

It took a few moments for his words to finally sink in as Harry stared in surprise. Friends? Bill truly considered them friends? It was rather heart-warming really. He smiled and gave a short nod. "Yeah, we're friends," Harry said in agreement, rubbing the back of his neck. "And ... thank you, for the offer, I mean."

A stab of guilt twisted in his stomach having the older Weasley do something for him. It didn't feel right, and the fact he hadn't really made time to send letters to Ron and Hermione made it even worse. He hadn't mean for that to happen ... it just did. "I ... " paused with hesitance. "I may not be able to come to the Quidditch World Cup."

Why didn't those words feel as painful as Harry thought it would have?

Oddly enough, Bill didn't look even remotely surprised by his statement and smiled. "I'll tell him that, but you may get a howler from him!" The older male chuckled. Harry wasn't sure if Ron would do such a thing after the incident back in second year, nevertheless the image proved to be a tad amusing.

"Let's hope not," Harry grimaced, despite letting out a laugh of his own.

"By the way, before I forget," Bill began stroking his chin. "Ganauche left this here this morning while you guys were sleeping away. It's over there," he said, nodding towards the table, a large thick object covered in brown wrapping paper. "He told me to give it to you before you left. Said that he'd promise to give it to you." His eyes landed back on him. "I'm guessing you have an idea of what it is, right?" Bill inquired.

"Basics of Wizarding Culture and all that," Harry answered, sighing. "I've started to realize that after four years of being in the Wizarding World, I ... really don't know anything at all."

"At least your making an effort to learn," Bill pointed out, raising his cup at him. "You'd be surprised how many wizards and witches don't at least try to learn about the customs of our world."

Harry fell silently, eyeing him warily at the remark. "You're talking about muggle-borns and half-bloods." His words were cautious, as he watched Bill closely. The way he had spoke reminded him of Malfoy, and not in a good way.

"Hmmm, not just them, even some Purebloods, too. Don't get me wrong, Harry. Muggle-borns and half-bloods are awesome! The muggle world is awesome," Bill began, his eyes lighting up in a similar manner to his father's, and grinned ear to ear. "All the things that the muggles have done over the centuries are absolutely amazing. Their music, their history, their culture, their art, everything! It's just so ... awesome." The giddiness was starting to seep through his smile and tone. "A large majority of my friends are muggle-borns anyway. Who cares about what blood they have as long as they're good people!"

"Then why did you ..." Harry's voice trailed off, thinking of a way to get his meaning across. "Make it sound like you didn't like them?"

A sad smile appeared on Bill's face. "Harry, I'm not idiot. I'm sure you've seen the prejudice against muggle-borns, squibs and half-bloods at Hogwarts, am I right?" Slowly, Harry nodded, not understanding where the older male was going with this. "Change is necessary to the British Wizarding World, anyone can see that. But this is where the problem lies: a lot of the muggle-borns that desire change have the problem of trying to implement it at a rate that's too fast. Change isn't something that can be forced. If you do that, all you'll hit is a brick wall."

Instantly the image of Hermione appeared in his mind before he pushed it to the side. Harry frowned. "So ... your saying that it isn't necessarily the change that muggle-borns are trying to bring that's the problem, but instead how it's being pushed?"

"I like a lot of the ideas that they have, and I'd rather see them happen," Bill admitted with a grin on his face, not bothering to hide his childlike excitement. "But the fact is that in order for change to occur, we need patience and understanding. If you don't try to understand something, or another person's perspective, you could be harming someone else in the process."

"Like how purebloods like Malfoy view muggleborns?" Harry questioned.

"Hmmm sort of like that, yes. Not the best analogy, but it works," Bill nodded in approval. He wrinkled his nose. "Mind you, the entire Malfoy lot is an insane bunch. Rather not cross paths with them if I can help it."

Harry snorted. "You and me, both!"

Harry had been rather surprised to see how well Bill and he were getting along, even though he easily befriended Ron as well as the twins. Harry never felt like he connected with Percy at all. As for Charlie, he never really got a chance to get to know him due to the circumstances of their meeting, but he was certain that the dragon-handler was an okay guy. At least from what he had gathered.

"Looks like someone is up and early," came a cheerful voice that belonged to Dino. The blond leaned against the corner draped in a white bathrobe similar to Bill's, and he began to approach them as he let out a massive yawn.

"Still tired from last night?" Bill commented, bemused.

Dino's eyes danced mischievously. "Mhmm, I can do it all again."

"Oh really? So can I," Bill retorted, a sly grin on his face to match Dino's.

Harry's eyes darted between the two older males, letting out a rather awkward cough. "I ... have to go use the shower, so I will be back." He slowly began to back away as Dino nodded absently. He turned ever so carefully to the stairs, making himself scarce, and he made his way into the bathroom as quickly as possible.  
>That had been a rather awkward moment for him. One that he planned on forgetting! His train of thought changed as he made his way towards the bathroom and proceeded to take a nice, long shower. The hot water drowned his thoughts, and the heat was a godsend. It had been a long time since he indulged in the pleasures of it. Not having had one in a long time, Harry admitted he missed having one.<p>

Really, it was the little things that Harry truly missed. Though, living in the shrine hadn't been that bad and he considered it a learning experience. Living with the Dursleys had taught him the necessities to survive in the world, without those skills he'd most likely die. However, he would not deny that the person that left him money and food contributed to that survival as well. That person remained a mystery to him, even now. One day Harry hoped he'd be able to meet face-to-face, just so that he'd be able to thank and repay whoever it was. He didn't know how, but he would somehow.

Stepping out of the shower and grabbing the nearest towel, Harry quickly cleaned himself, slipping into his clothes and made his way out–THWACK!

...And apparently smacking right into someone.

"Huh? Harry?" And that someone turned out to be Takeshi. "You okay?" The taller teen bent down slightly gripping his shoulders in concern. "How is your wound?"

Harry groaned gripping the bridge of his nose. "Urgh, I'm fine Takeshi. And so is my wound, so don't worry about it. I'm not made of glass, you know." He knew that the other teen could see it as clear as day, but he didn't like being fussed over.

"I know, I know," Takeshi remarked, waving his hand up and down apologetically, his arms folded to the back of his neck grinning ear to ear. "But what kind of friends would we be if we didn't worry about you?" His eyes gleamed softly at him as his arm reached over gripping him in a headlock. "You're one of us, you know!"

"T-Takeshi let go!" Harry growled, attempting to free himself from the baseball player's hold, grinning nonetheless.

"Oi." The sound of Hana's voice forced the two to separate as she stood behind them, staring dryly. "You done in bathroom? I could use it."

"Erm, yeah. I mean yes, I am," Harry corrected, coughing slightly with a small smile.

The girl appeared to be satisfied, nodding sharply and pushing inside sternly. She sent a stare to Takeshi, whom seemed to get the message and vanish behind the wall before she turned her attention to Harry. The stare almost made him freeze in place, but he had become used to it and merely stared back at Hana in confusion. Was there something wrong?

"How is it?" she bluntly asked.

"It's fine," Harry lied instantly. It didn't bother him much as before, intermittent pain that pulsed with every movement and the difficulty he had with breathing. Though, he would never admit it to anyone.

Hana arched an eyebrow. "Is it?" she challenged.

"Do you want to check it?" Harry countered back.

Not even a second later, Hana pressed her hand against the bruise, nearly causing him to let out a cry. He bit down hard on his lip trying not to let her see how much it truly hurt. However, it appeared that wasn't needed. The pain didn't remain in the same spot as the wound rather focused around his torso, all aching at once.

"Don't lie to me about this sort of thing," Hana remarked frigidly, removing her hand from his chest wearing a stern look.

"I can handle it." Harry averted her gaze.

"Then let us help you handle it," she shot at him, eyes narrowed with concern and seriousness. "If it hurts any more come and find us or at least me. Alright? Don't go shouldering it alone!"

"H-Hana ..."

"We're your friends," Hana told him. For that brief moment, that strong facade of hers cracked, revealing a true glimpse of the concern and worry that she felt for him. "You don't have to hide things from us. I heard what Yamamoto said. You know we're here for you. So tell us when something is wrong." Her eyes stared deeply into his, slowly giving him a nod and released him from her hold.

Her words stunned him and left him bewildered. His heart began to fill with pain. He quietly left the bathroom as the door shut behind him. A strange feeling seemed to wash over him, one that Harry couldn't really explain. He understood what Hana tried to tell him, but at the same time there was a sense of difficulty for him to just dump all of his problems and secrets onto them. It simply didn't seem fair. They all had their problems to deal with. Besides, he was use to handling things alone.

He could shoulder the pain a little longer.

"Harry?" His eyes strayed over to the see the nervous gaze of Tsuna.

"You're up, too?" Harry said, blinking rapidly as he tried to regain his train of thought and shook his head. "Of course you are. Stupid question."

Tsuna disagreed. "N-no, it's fine. All of us are up. I think we all needed the sleep from last night." Harry laughed in agreement; they had all been close to death once arriving back to the manor. The brunet shifted awkwardly in front of him. "You ... you didn't have to take that bullet for me. You could have been seriously injured more than you already were. Or worse, killed!"

"Are you saying that I should have let you take the bullet? Sorry Tsuna, I don't roll that way," Harry said sternly, eyes narrowed at his friend. "I don't regret taking that bullet, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. No questions asked."

"You ... you shouldn't throw your life away like that," Tsuna's fists clutched tightly, staring at him with fright-filled eyes.

The wizard sighed heavily, giving the brunet a tired gaze. "I'm not throwing away my life, Tsuna. I'm stronger than that, and I know what my limits are." That was sort of a lie, not that his friend needed to know. At the moment Harry wanted to reassure Tsuna as much as possible. "A bullet isn't going to get rid of me that easily, I plan on staying alive for a long time." He possessed an insane will to survive anyway. "But," he added. "If it makes you feel better, I promise I'll try to be more careful."

Whether or not that actually happened was yet to be seen.

Tsuna didn't speak at all, merely staring back as a hesitantly meek smile appeared and he nodded shortly. "Okay."

With that settled, the two made their way downstairs, rejoining the others. Once Hana had returned from the bathroom, Dino's chef had presented them an extravagant breakfast: bacon, toast, juice, fruits, eggs and a bunch of other stuff that Harry had never seen before. Almost instantly, everyone dug in and began eating everything in sight. They chatted happily while eating, the events of yesterday forgotten in light of the joys of their meals together.

Once finished and washed up, Dino decided to take them around the town for the rest of the day since they were heading back during late at night. Bill decided to come along, having nothing but free time on his hands.

The places that they went to were obviously the sights located around the town, with Dino personally showing them around, they took as many pictures as they were able to. There were serious ones, funny ones. The pictures were about anything and everything as far as the girls were concerned, and as for guys, they simply wanted to enjoy the rest of their holiday. After seeing a few of the sights the girls dragged the rest of them to the marketing district, wanting to buy a few souvenirs from the trip. This meant pretty much anything that captured Haru's and Hana's eyes as the two browsed, debating loudly whether or not to buy them. In the end, with some intervention from Dino and Bill, the girls settled on reasonable items, though few there were.

After all Dino hadn't wanted them to spend all of their money on such materialistic things.

Once the girls finished their tour, they all settled into one of Dino's favorite restaurants. Not surprisingly, the restaurant catered only Italian cuisine and was fully paid for by the Italian man. Harry couldn't help but feel rather bad for having the blond pay for their meals. Even with the reassurance that Dino had given him, the guilt had remained lodged in his heart. He made a mental note to try and find some way to pay Dino back for the meals and everything else. It was the very least Harry could do. The dinner had been absolutely delicious; one of the best things he had tasted, though he doubted anything could truly beat Tsuna's mother's cooking!

Not long after dinner had been wrapped up, they returning to Dino's manor to grab everything, as the Italian man accompanied them back to his private jet. However, he had to stay behind due to work, but he saw them off alongside Bill as the two wished them farewell. Before Harry had left, Bill had remembered to give him the book left to him by Ganauche, and then he boarded the jet.

It seemed once more they owed Dino for something.

The flight from Italy back to Japan felt like almost no time at all compared to the usual difference on a normal plane. Probably due to the fact that the jet was privately owned and built for speed, making the time between the countries appear shorter. Oddly they were all still filled with energy, Harry had spent the rest of the ride chatting with Takeshi about baseball, as he knew that it was the taller teen's passion, despite not knowing much about it. The others had jumped in instantly about their school team and how they'd do this year with Yamamoto put at the plate, as he was the school star. He didn't even blink an eye at that revelation since being around Takeshi, and to an extension, the others, Harry learned quickly of the other boy's obsession with the sport.

In fact it made Harry think of Quidditch, and his own loyalties to his respected sport. Though, he wasn't nearly as fanatical as Yamamoto was with baseball. In fact it reminded him of Ron.

Maybe he'd hear soon from his friend once Bill delivered his message.

Dino's jet landed at the original site from where they had taken off, making it rather easy for them to get home. Morning came by the time the jet had landed as Harry, Takeshi and Tsuna came to a silent agreement to escort the girls home first before heading to their own. Haru had been the first since she was closest, happily declaring she'd talk to them later once they arrived home. Harry never really understood where she got her energy from, but he was glad to see that she hadn't lost it after the battle. She was much stronger than she first appeared.

Next stop had been Hana's, which was had been located not too far from Tsuna's house. Once they had approached it, she gave her curt goodbyes before fussing over Harry. He reassured her that he'd be fine, and would care for his wound properly. Thankfully, she seemed to accept it rather briskly and proceeded to head inside.

Tsuna was next as the brunet wished him and Takeshi them a farewell before heading inside promising to contact them tomorrow.

Takeshi yawned, laughing to himself. "Man, that was fun! I can barely keep my eyes open!"

"I can tell," Harry remarked, glancing up to the taller teen with bemusement. "Think you can make it to your own house?"

"Maybe!" the baseball teen joked, grinning widely.

"In that case if you drop and fall, I'll try carrying you the way back," the wizard supplied offhandedly with a shrug, his hands slid into his pockets casually. His lips twitched. "I have to agree ... I'm glad that we went to Italy."

Takeshi's grin remained. "You didn't get out of Britain much, did you?"

"Neither have you in Japan," Harry shot back, not unkindly.

"True," the taller teen amended with a nod, arms folded against his chest. "Maybe one day we can come and visit you back in England."

Oh ... yeah. Harry almost forgot that he was going to head back home. Soon. "Yeah," he responded after a moment of silence forcing a smile. "One day. I'll make sure to give you a good tour of the city when that happens." His cheerful tone sounded false to his ears as he watched the facial expressions on Takeshi's face carefully. The teen stared back in silence before continuing to smile, and leaned over to grab him in a headlock. "T-Takeshi!"

"You'd better keep that promise!" Takeshi informed, his happy tone reaching new levels.

Harry shot him a stare, struggling not to laugh. "Okay! Okay! I'll make sure to keep it, promise!"

"Good!" Takeshi released Harry. Straight after that, the teen jogged forward a bit and sharply turned to towards him, and raised his hands into the air as he grinned wider. "This is my stop! See you tomorrow!" the baseball player waved and headed inside, thus leaving Harry to himself.

"See ya!" Harry called back, watching as Takeshi disappeared into his house. He remained there for a few moments, shaking his head ruefully before making his way towards the shrine. The walk there had been refreshing; to feel the cold wind and the serenity that the morning held was relaxing. It brought a sense of peace to him, plus gave him room to think and hear his thoughts. His own fatigue began to win over him as he approached the front doors. A yawn caught him by surprise. It caused a surge of pain through his chest and he hissed in response.

The only think that his mind could focus on was sleep, which he promptly did so as he reached his so-called bed and fell on it.

Unfortunately, the next day came quickly, and Harry woke from his slumber and he forced himself off of the floor and proceeded to return back to his old routine. Get up, bathe, do laundry in the small river near the back, and lastly head out into town after looking up some Japanese in order to further communicate better. While hanging around Tsuna and the others helped Harry gain a good grasp of the language, there were still times where he found himself confused and uncertain to their words. But slowly, he learned a bit more every day and managed to pierce through the language barrier. While it wasn't perfect, it was enough.

Yawning tiredly, Harry opened the front door to discover yet another basket of food as well as money lying on top. Not even giving it a second glance he brought it inside, but he paused and looked around, taking in everything before disappearing back into the shrine.

The shrine, despite being abandoned and empty, possessed a great deal of sturdiness. It perplexed him as to why anyone would have left. Over the month and some that he had stayed, Harry hadn't found any sign of problems. He had played with the idea that no one knew of the shrine's existence, but that didn't make much sense. Regardless of that fact, Harry counted himself lucky that he found some place to stay. That said, he did his best to clean and look after the place as much as he could.

Once finished, Harry left the shrine planning on heading to the nearest store to pick up the basic necessities. He had planned to meet up with the others sometime during the afternoon. Thus Harry had enough time to get some things out of the way.

However, it seemed that life had other ideas.

Standing right in front of him was none other then ...

"Gokudera?"

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 End.<p>

And so the Italy Arc has finally come to an end, thanks to everyone who reviewed and for my wonderful beta doodle88 for doing such a great job! But, don't go thinking that's the end of trouble now; things are about to starting heating up in the next chapter so make sure to be on the lookout for it!

I want to apologize for the lateness for this chapter coming out, this month has been difficult for both my beta and as well as myself. As I have recently started a new job, so up-dates will most likely start coming out slower, but fear not, once I get into the groove of things the chapters will come out quicker. So please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Until next time everyone!


	14. Kokuyo Land

Chapter 14: Kokuyo Land

"W-we have to hurry up or else we're going to be late!" Tsuna's fear filled cry echoed through the sky as he grabbed his bag, racing down the streets with a nervous expression.

Yamamoto let out his trademark laugh, grinning ear-to-ear, and running beside Tsuna with ease. "Don't worry about it, Tsuna. Even if we are late, at least we'll be in detention together!" the taller teen commented rather cheerfully, seeing absolutely no problem with his words.

"There's no way that Juudaime and I are going to sit in detention!" Gokudera snapped at him angrily, rushing beside the brunet. He threw a sharp glare at the teen. "Baseball idiot!"

"I think detention is going to be the very least of our worries once Hana finds out about this," Harry remarked rather nonchalantly, causally keeping up with his three friends with a blank look on his face. His hand rested upon the strap of his bag, running in between Gokudera and Yamamoto and staring straight ahead. "Isn't ... whatever his name is usually at the front gates whenever someone's late?" Though the name escaped him entirely, the image of the person remained in his head, having recalled meeting him during the summer.

Tsuna let out a shrill shout. "H-Hibari-san?"

"That's the name." The raven teen nodded, that was the name that he was looking for. Harry didn't get any further interaction with this 'Hibari' person, only hearing mentions of him from the whispers and murmurs of the student body of Namimori. The name had been spoken with fear more than anything else.

In the week after returning to the city, his mind remained in conflict. He was unable to choose between returning home to England and reuniting with Ron and Hermione or remaining in Namimori with Tsuna and the others. The yearning to return grew with each passing day, as he desired to see his friends once again. Now he wasn't so sure. He had made many good friends during his time spent in Japan. The longer Harry remained, the deeper their friendship had become, to the point where he couldn't decide what to do. His heart was torn in two, unable to resolve the choices presented to him. As time started to run out, a decision had to be made.

"It would be bad if Hibari catches us." Yamamoto frowned. "He'll bite us all to death."

Harry let out an audible snort. "He sounds like a rather loveable fellow."

"He's anything but!" Tsuna stated flatly, waving his hand furiously in tandem with his horrified expression.

Mentally, Harry decided to avoid 'Hibari' as much as possible while he wondered what exactly Yamamoto had meant. Eventually, he simply disregarded the thought, despite his curiosity remaining. It probably wasn't anything significant.

"That bastard ain't so tough!" Gokudera grunted, gritting his teeth angrily.

"He did beat us both single handily," the tall teen retorted, almost ashamed of that fact, while his frown remained on his face. It seemed to grow deeper and his hands curled up into fists. For a moment his expression darkened before lightening up considerably. "One day we'll be able to reach his level!" He let out a cheerful laugh and his grin had returned full force, obviously pleased with his words.

Tsuna gave a tiny but grateful grin to him, followed by a nod.

"Who is this Hibari guy, anyway? Was he the one from the summer festival?" Harry inquired. "Kinda tall, black hair with a black jacket and sash around his arm?"

Tsuna blanched. "That would be Hibari-san alright."

"You have a good memory, Harry!" Yamamoto praised, grinning widely.

Gokudera rolled his eyes at the comment. "Tch, that bastard always shows up at the wrong time and place. Next time I won't be caught off guard!" he said, as he whipped out four red sticks from his jacket, wearing a vindictive smile. "He won't know what hit him," he stated with devilish glee.

"Gokudera-kun!" The brunet let out a high-pitched scream, literally jumping away from the other, staring incredulously at the objects. "D-don't go and pull those out in broad daylight!"

Yamamoto grinned and laughed. "Oh, fireworks!"

Harry didn't even bother acknowledging the dynamite, more or less ignoring their entirety as a whole. Ever since school was back in session at Namimori, such explosive and dangerous events resumed. Oddly enough, none of the students or the teachers ever seemed to notice let alone comment on the dynamite. The only explanation that the wizard could come up with was that they disregarded them as mere fireworks like Takeshi did. Even then, Harry was skeptical of the idea at best.

"They are not fireworks!"

Gokudera's declaration only helped fuel his skepticism further. Even after spending a number of years in the wizarding world, he still refused to completely give into the same mentality that many other wizards and witches shared: a lack of common sense and logic. The red dynamite sticks flickered at the edge of his vision, and Harry zeroed in on the objects in Gokudera's hands, briefly noticing the redness of the stick. While their shared animosity had begun to lessen, the teen couldn't help but be curious as to why the other male had dynamite in the first place. Not that it was strange ... not anymore, anyway. Ever since meeting Tsuna and the others, it had somehow become normal for those linked with the brunet to have some sort of weaponry on them.

Regardless, Harry didn't understand how people couldn't see that the teen had dynamite on him. Perhaps it wasn't just the wizarding world that suffered from a lack of common sense and logic. He hoped that it turned out to be the former rather than the latter.

By some chance, the four managed to arrive on time, barely making it through the classroom door. Needless to say, they had received mixed reactions. Hana smiled her sarcastic smile and her dark eyes glinted with amusement, which vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Her expression remained blank; it was her attempt at maintaining her rather aloof reputation among the student body. Harry knew that, underneath, Hana was really one big softie; she simply had her own way of showing affection. The teen knew without a doubt that she had their backs.

As the days went by, the deadline for the Hogwarts responses drew nearer and nearer. The choices between staying in Japan with his new friends and returning home where he belonged grew in conflict. Thankfully, the letters exchanged with Sirius placed his anxiety at ease, reading the constant reassurances from his godfather had done him wonders. He felt relieved that the escaped wizard not only wasn't angry with his internal debate, but he encouraged him to follow his heart and that he'd be there to stand beside him regardless of the decision he chose. Even if it had been in writing, it helped him endure the last few painful days. Though, among one of his letters, his godfather had remarked rather wittingly that "your new friends must have made quite an impression," which was not entirely wrong. They didn't start off on the right foot, but slowly all of them had become friends. Sort of.

Gokudera's and his friendship began to progress, slowly. They still failed to see eye to eye, but they were able to form a strange understanding between them. The two were, more or less, civil towards one another, and for now it was enough.

That said, Harry admitted that the Italian boy's attitude and his tendency to shout loudly had been relatively annoying and embarrassing on occasions. Yet ... he couldn't picture Gokudera and Ron getting into a shouting match, or with Hermione for that matter. Harry couldn't help but wonder that if it ever did happen ... who would end up winning said shouting match? His lips tugged slightly, and he shook his head before tuning into the lesson of the day.

It was strange returning to a mundane lifestyle. With Reborn running around and causing havoc and mayhem, normalcy seemed to be thrown out the window whenever he showed up. At the beginning Harry hadn't been too keen on the infant's attitude towards Tsuna and the callousness that he treated the brunet and the others around him. Over time, he began to admire Reborn. Whenever Reborn did something, he did it without regret or mercy. He was confident in not only his skills but also in those who he was testing and trying to shape. His methods were cruel, extravagant and deadly to a tee.

Harry wondered if, by some twist of fate, Reborn and Dumbledore knew one another.

Once Dumbledore entered his mind, his thoughts began to drift back towards Hogwarts, to Ron and Hermione. He hadn't heard from either of them. It wasn't surprising since Harry hadn't sent them a single letter. The exception being the one Harry specifically asked Bill to deliver to Ron. However, somehow he knew that Ron and Hermione hadn't taken the message very well, especially given that Harry was not returning to Hogwarts. When he saw them again, it would end up being a painful meeting. A very painful one, at that.

Usually around this time of year, Harry would have received a notice about school, yet none had arrived. At first he wondered if his ring had anything to do it, recalling that it would protect him from being detected for use of underage magic — not that he had been using magic in the first place. It made sense to him that the ring somehow made him invisible to the rest of the world, but how would that work if Sirius' owls and Hedwig were able to locate him?

Another idea was that the owls had gotten tired and were unable to deliver his Hogwarts letter, having chosen to fly back to the castle. Though that sounded even more unlikely.

There were too many questions running through his head to figure out by himself. It was times like these when Harry sincerely wished that Hermione were here with him. At least that way they would have managed to come up with a decent theory. The teen had made several attempts at contacting the Japanese Ministry of Magic and finding the magical community only to end up empty handed. He couldn't find anything, not even a single clue. He concluded that he was on his own.

Not that it mattered. At a very young age, Harry learned to adapt and rely on himself in order to survive. After all he had been living in a shrine for a few months.

"I can't believe it!" a harsh whisper echoed through the classroom.

Harry blinked and almost groaned at the fact he had been spacing out during the entire lesson. Those thoughts were quickly changed once he noticed his classmates' shock and panic; even Hana looked a tad disturbed by whatever had happened. He quickly masked his stunned gaze and casually leaned over to a worried Yamamoto. "What happened?" he asked, garnering a look from the baseball player. "I was spacing out," Harry admitted reluctantly.

Yamamoto seemed to understand, though his expression remained dark with concern. "A bunch of students were found beaten not too far from the school. It was in the same method those other students were found with two days ago ..." Takeshi trailed off a bit, frowning. His voice knit with worry.

"Seriously?" That didn't seem to add up. Were they just targeting Namimori students and if so what was the reason for that? Was this one of those gang-affiliated things? He recalled, during his time living with the Dursleys, reports about several students linked to gangs getting involved in fights. "How many students were attacked?" Harry inquired, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.

"Dunno." The frown remained on the baseball player's face. "All I know is that they were Namimori students."

Somehow that didn't surprise Harry. "I think ... we should talk about this during lunch."

Thankfully, it seemed that Yamamoto already had that in mind. By the time it was lunch, everyone made their way to the room. To his surprise, Kyoko and her brother Ryohei also joined them. Harry wasn't particularly close to the two Sasagawa siblings, but he did hang out with them when everyone else was around. Not a moment later did Haru show up; the brunette always seemed to find a way to join them no matter how far away she was. Though, he wondered just how far Midori Middle High was from Namimori, before pushing that thought away. It wasn't relevant.

Now that they were all together, the meeting could get under way.

"What are we doing here TO THE EXTREME?" Ryohei yelled at the top of his lungs, thrusting his fists straight into the air.

Gokudera shot him an irritable stare. "We're here to talk about the recent attacks on the students, you turfhead!"

"Turfhead?" The boxer almost choked on the nickname and glared. "Fine, octopus top!"

Kyoko sighed, watching the two. "Oh, big brother ..."

Harry shared her sentiments, seeing the silver haired teen bristle in anger. He glanced to the side, noticing Takeshi bemusedly smile and Tsuna heave a sigh. None of them were surprised that a fight was about to break out. The other two, Hana and Haru, didn't look quite as impressed at all; they eyed Gokudera and Ryohei disappointedly. Though, Hana more than Haru.

"O-octopus top?" Gokudera shrilled indignantly, approaching the white haired teen rather menacingly; he glared before lunging at him. Ryohei managed to dodge and use his fists to defend himself from the assault. As the half-Italian leaped at him once more ...

Hana inhaled and stood in between them. "Enough! Both of you," she said, shooting the two venomous stares. "Can't you two stop fighting for just one moment? Honestly, you boys are such monkeys!" Folding her arms against her chest, she sharply turned away from them in disgust, returning her attention to the rest of the group. "So, what are we going to do about these fights?"

"Tch, what about the fights?" Gokudera snarled out, leaning against the fence and shooting her a look. "It has nothing to do with the rest of us!"

"Innocent people are getting attacked. What's stopping whoever's doing it from going after one of us?" Hana argued back, frowning thinly. "We don't know why they're doing this. For all we know, they might have something against the entire student body! We can't just sit around here and wait for something to happen. We should do something!"

"Kurokawa is right," Yamamoto began, nodding slowly. "But Gokudera also has a point. It's not directly involving us either. The other students are getting attacked but we've remained unscratched —"

"But for how long?" Harry cut in, arching an eyebrow at him and frowning. "I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with either side, but Hana has brought up a good point. None of us know their agenda, and they've been targeting only Namimori students. Maybe it's nothing; maybe it's something. We don't know. What I think we should do is at least stick together."

Tsuna blinked. "Stick together, like ... travel together?"

"There is safety in numbers!" Haru piped cheerfully with a grin on her face.

"B-but that would eventually leave one of us alone though, a-and we can't be around one another all the time," Tsuna pointed out, frowning thinly.

Yamamoto let out a cheerful laugh. "Well, I'll be fine. My dad has been teaching me kendo."

"Really? When did that happen?" Hana spoke up, her interest rising as she looked curiously to the taller boy. It wasn't just her, all of them openly looked at Yamamoto in surprise at the revelation since the teen's passion seemed to lie with baseball.

"It's just ... we got back from Italy ..." The teen shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding their stares. His amber eyes seemed to darken slightly, recalling the battles that occurred during the trip. They all managed to survive and get out relatively unscathed. Even so, the difference in strength had been tremendous. Without the help of Timoteo's bodyguards, they most likely wouldn't have been able to save Tsuna from his kidnappers.

A smile blossomed on his face. "But yeah, I decided to take it up. My dad's been teaching me a lot!"

Gokudera's eyes twitched upon hearing that. "Tch, there's no way I'm going to be falling behind you, baseball idiot!"

"Training TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei roared again, punching furiously with a large grin splitting across his face.

"H-hey, everyone!" Tsuna stuttered out, trying to pacify the group. However, a small smile lingered as he gazed at his friends with a whimsical and proud gleam that shined within his brown pools. "I ... I guess I shouldn't be slacking off either."

Harry let out a little snort. "I don't think Reborn would let you or me slack off."

"Yeah," Tsuna sighed.

"That's good and dandy, but what about us girls? We're not going to be standing on the sidelines while you five go off and do the fighting," Hana cut in rather sharply, while using her infamous glare on them. She folded her arms against her chest and scowled. "We're not damsels in distress who need saving. We're fully capable of standing on our own feet, thank you." Her tone was rather frigid, laced with the firmness of her words.

Haru nodded. "That's right! Girl power!"

"I wouldn't mind either," Kyoko mused, tilting her head as she appeared deep in thought and giggled cheerfully. "Actually, it might even be fun!"

Unfortunately, it seemed that Ryohei didn't share that sentiment. "No! I won't let anything harm you, Kyoko." His head instantly snapped towards her. "Just keep close to me. I'll protect you from those bullies! I promise!" the boxer exclaimed loudly.

His sister sighed, unfazed by the comment. "Big brother ..."

"See? This is what we're trying to _not_ let you do," Hana remarked sharply, pinning a glare on the boxer. "Kyoko isn't weak, Ryohei."

"She's still my little sister!" the oldest of the group argued vehemently, shaking his head. "I can protect her with no problem! She doesn't need to learn how to fight. Just leave her to me!"

The girl's eyes narrowed, glaring. "Are you even listening to a word I'm saying? Or is it just not getting through that thick skull of yours, Ryohei? It's not like you can be around her twenty-four seven, you know. That's impossible. And what's more, why don't you want her to learn how to defend herself? She has every right to!" Her hands were now placed on her hips and she moved menacingly up to the boxer.

"I just don't want Kyoko to get hurt!" Ryohei protested angrily, glaring back at her. "She's everything to me!"

Before Hana could even get another word in, Kyoko cleared her throat and spoke up. "It's fine, Hana. Big brother means well. So let it go, okay?" She gave a tentative smile, looking at her as a silent conversation occurred between the two girls. After several moments of quiet, Hana let out a long, tired sigh and reluctantly nodded, gaining a bright smile from Kyoko. While the argument had come to an end, neither party was entirely satisfied with the results. Harry felt that this would most likely come up again.

For now the eight of them agreed for the time being that they would go together from school and back, escorting one another to each other's houses. Of course, Harry made it his priority to steer the others away from the shrine. None of them knew of his living conditions, not even Gokudera. It was rather lucky that the half-Italian hadn't pestered him for details during the conversation the two had shared last month. It helped built a tentative friendship between them, and while Harry was thankful for that, a part of him was relieved that Gokudera was oblivious to the fact he lived at the shrine. That was something that he planned on keeping to himself for a good long while.

It wasn't because he distrusted any of the others; Harry knew he could trust them. That said, the teen also knew that if any of his friends discovered he lived in the shrine, they would definitely try to help him. He didn't want to be a burden to any of them. They'd done so much for him already, so there wasn't any need to pile more onto their shoulders. Besides, Harry was capable of taking care of himself. He had been doing just that since the day the Dursleys had taken him in.

Still, Harry was grateful for everything the others had done for him so far. He only wished there was some way to repay them.

The rest of the week had gone by with the violence against the Namimori students skyrocketing. Whoever was pulling the strings behind the operation had decided to up his game. It seemed no matter where Harry went, ambulances could be seen and heard far and wide. The students' fearful whispers did nothing to place his fears at ease. Harry could not deny the growing dread that began to fill his heart. His mind whirled with grim scenarios, even as he forced them aside. He refused to believe that any of his friends could ever be taken down so easily by the likes of some gang members. There was no way it could happen. Harry repeated that mantra while continuing his way to the school, feeling his body relax.

While Harry agreed with the others about travelling in groups for protection, it had been awhile since he enjoyed a good walk, and it really wasn't _that_ far from the shrine to the school. If worse came to worse, he'd make a run for it.

"Hey, w-what are you doing?" A familiar, male voice reached his ears, forcing Harry to pause in his stride. Following the sounds of the sharp cries, he peered behind a wall and saw a tall male with black hair with a bag over his shoulders. Harry recalled him talking with Tsuna sometime during the summer, but the name was lost on him. Though that wasn't the issue at hand as the brunet was cowering from a taller teen.

The cocky boy appeared to be around his own age, if his appearances were anything good to go by. He reeked of arrogance, who towered over the other with a twisted, satisfied expression. With a deep scar that stretched across the blond's face, he reminded Harry of an animal. His teeth were far too sharp to be considered remotely human, and his attire was a dark shade of green, coming off more as a school uniform. Even so, Harry filed the little tidbit of information away for the time being. At the moment he continued to watch very carefully as the gap between the older teen and blond boy began to shrink.

Harry could feel the tension in the air as he swallowed quietly, keeping his sights focused on the blond. His hand wrapped around his wand tightly. Jumping in at the wrong moment could possibly get him and the other teen injured. That was something that Harry wasn't going to risk.

The blond chuckled lowly in bemusement. "Oh, this is just too easy. And you're supposed to be one of the strongest? Don't make me laugh!"

"I don't even know what you're talking about, man!" the teen protested angrily. His body shook with fear, while confusion and uncertainty rooted him in place. "Why are you even calling me 'one of the strongest'? Because I'm not!"

"You're right," the blond confirmed as he nodded and flashed a predatorily smirk. "You're just bait."

Harry furrowed his brows in thought. _Bait? _Did that mean all those other students before them had also been nothing more than bait? What exactly was their endgame and whom were they trying to lure out in the first place? He frowned. At that point Harry considered that that enough information for the time being. Now that the distance was short enough for Harry, all he needed to do was wait for an opening to make his move.

The blond smirked, animal-like. "Now ..." His eyes narrowed in morbid delight. "It's lunch time! Let's eat!"

There was the opening! As the blond's eyes were directed towards the older teen as he lunged towards him, Harry rushed out from behind the wall and snapped his wand out. "_Confundo!_" The first spell hit the blond teen dead on as a dazed look appeared on his face. His hand rose sharply as he fired another spell. "_Petrificus Totalus!_" The teen's body instantly snapped together, freezing in mid-air before dropping to the ground. With that out of the way, Harry quickly moved towards the bewildered teen. "Hey, you alright?" he inquired with concern, glancing at the paralyzed teen before moving back to the older.

The teen slowly nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He quickly scrambled to get off the ground, eyes trained on the stunned teen, swallowing thickly. "So ... what are we going to do about him? Leave him in middle of the street?"

"As tempting as it is, I don't think that's a good idea," Harry remarked promptly, frowning at the blond. He knew very little about the prone teen and what his motives were. Even so, questions would be raised if he were ever discovered, which Harry would rather avoid for the most part. Looking around, he eventually found a discreet and hidden alleyway just a little ways from their location. "Over there." He pointed towards it. "We'll leave him there."

The other nodded swiftly, and together they brought and carefully placed the blond teen in the alley, up against the wall. Harry couldn't help but note how light the blond boy weighed. He frowned, eyeing the petrified teen before tearing his gaze away and turning his attention to the other teen. "Why did you he attack you?"

The older teen shook his head, shrugging. "I'd tell you if I actually knew. He said something about me being 'one of the strongest,' but I doubt that. I'm not strong."

"That isn't much to go on." Harry frowned, running his hand through his hair. Inwardly, his frustrations built; nothing was making sense. _At least it's better than nothing. _"Alright, are you injured anywhere? We should probably head to the hospital and get you checked out." That way at least he could keep an eye on him.

"Erm ..." The older boy seemed to hesitate, a defiant look appeared for a brief moment before he agreed. "That might be a good idea."

At least the other had some common sense, much to his relief. On the way to the hospital, introductions were given and Harry finally knew the older teen to be Mochida, though he didn't comment on seeing him before. Upon arriving, the two were rather shocked to discover the hospital was housing almost the entire student body of Namimori. All of them looked frightened and worried as nurses and doctors pushed through the crowds with stretchers with students on them. It appeared that the situation had escalated beyond what Harry had initially assumed. It made his stomach twist in disgust as he looked to the many faces of the students. Scanning the crowds, his eyes landed on Hana, who was leaning against the wall next to a door. To say that she looked worried would have been an understatement.

"Hana!" Not wasting any time, Harry approached her. "What happened? Where is everyone else?"

Hana turned towards him; a stricken look cracked her normally stoic expression before she masked it. "Ryohei was attacked. The doctors are examining him and so far nothing serious was broken. Just a few teeth are missing." Her eyes landed on him and she pursed her lips into a thin line. "Kyoko is inside, talking with him. Tsuna and that damnable baby were in there earlier before running off, so I don't know what happened to them. Knowing those two, something's going on," she said with a sardonic smile, but suddenly looked guilty. "I can't help but wonder if Ryohei getting hurt was somehow my fault. After what happened a few days ago —"

"Okay, stop right there," Harry interrupted. He wasn't going to let her guilt get the better of her. "This isn't your fault. None of us knew this would happen, and Ryohei's a strong guy. It was an act of chance, Hana. So stop worrying about it, alright?" He offered her a gentle smile, hoping to put her nervousness at ease.

"You're right." Hana's shoulders slumped in relief. A tiny smile briefly appeared before it returned to her normal frown. "Where were you, anyway? And why's he here?"

Harry blinked, looking back to Mochida. "Oh, him? Helped him against a blond teen —"

"Wearing a green school uniform?" Hana interrupted, arching an eyebrow.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"

"It seems everyone was attacked by teens wearing green school uniforms. Kokuyo Middle School uniforms, to be more exact," Hana frowned thinly. "From the rumours I've been hearing? One of the attackers was blond, and the other wore a beanie."

"Then one of them is out of commission," Harry remarked, smirking.

"Do I even want to know what you did?"

Harry stared at her. "I didn't do anything bad to him! And besides, he's fine. Unconscious but fine!"

"We'll find out later if that's comforting or not," Hana commented calmly, turning to face the two completely. She opened her mouth to say something just as the door opened to reveal Kyoko. Hesitantly, she closed her mouth and approached the other girl, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. The two looked to one another in silence. Hana nodded. "Alright, we'll head home." Her eyes snapped towards them. "You two are coming with us!"

Mochida shifted uncomfortably. "Erm ... I'm going to check in at the front desk and see if I can get looked over." He glanced at Kyoko, giving her a slight but polite nod before waving his hand at them and heading down the hall, vanishing from sight.

"You ready?" Hana inquired, looking toward Kyoko, who solemnly nodded.

Harry had the tact to not say anything about her brother, opting instead to give the girl some silent support. Curiously, he couldn't help but wonder where Tsuna and Reborn had headed off to. Wherever they went, Harry hoped that the two were going to be okay.

Yet, it struck him as odd that Tsuna would be running off so suddenly without much warning. Harry knew that whenever Reborn was around, destruction and craziness were certain to follow, but what made the two rush out in such a hurry? He frowned as he quietly walked beside the two girls. There was a chance that Tsuna was connected to the acts of violence occurring at the school. But that, like before, didn't seem to add up since the brunet had also appeared rather shocked by the news.

This was starting to get too confusing for his tastes, and he cursed himself for not investigating matters sooner.

"Huh ... that's no good," Kyoko looked at her cell with worry.

Hana frowned. "What's wrong, Kyoko?"

Harry snapped back to reality having just noticed the girl's cell phone now. It didn't seem that long since they left the hospital, unless he had become too preoccupied by his thoughts and everything around him had been drowned out. His cheeks grew hot at the possibility. He shifted his body as he tuned into the conversation, feeling somewhat strange all of a sudden. His lips curled into a small frown and he began to quicken his pace slightly. An air of apprehension began to settle over the three. However, he couldn't explain why. A shiver ran up his spine, adding to his desire to get somewhere out of the general vicinity.

But he wasn't going to voice his thoughts, as scaring the girls unnecessarily wouldn't be the best idea.

"Tsuna and the others aren't picking up," the auburn girl answered, her eyes brimming with uncertainty as she clutched the electronic device. "I can't seem to get to anyone. Not even Haru." Her voice trailed off quietly.

"Doesn't her school let out at the same time as ours? I'm pretty sure everyone in our school went home early today," Harry began slowly. "I'm sure Haru is still in class, so she's unable to pick up her phone. Try again later, okay?" He gave a gentle smile in order to help dissuade Kyoko's concern. "I'm sure you'll find she's safe and sound."

"Or she's heading to Tsuna's house, waiting for him," Hana remarked, snickering a bit.

That seemed to do the trick as a giggle managed to escape Kyoko's lips before evolving into full-blown laughter. Though, even with the laughter, Harry's desire to go home continued to grow exponentially. It irritated him that he could not place the reason as to why. It was a feeling that continued to build with each passing second. One of his hands was stuffed deeply into his pockets to hold onto his wand, which brought him some sense of protection and comfort.

Maybe he was just over thinking things. One of the two perpetrators had already been dealt with, so there wasn't anything else to sweat over. But then why did he feel otherwise? Glancing around, nothing came into his line of sight.

He was really starting to become paranoid; Harry dismissed the feeling as pointless. Perhaps, the fighting simply started to get to him. That must have been it.

A bright smile had appeared on Kyoko's face as she beamed, the phone resting against her ear. "I got through to Haru! She said to meet her near the park!" A happy giggle came as she continued the conversation with the other girl on the line; she nodded and they exchanged goodbyes as she quickly hung up. "We're not that far from where she is. Let's go!" With a cheerful disposition, the eager auburn haired girl's speed increased.

"Kyoko." Hana shook her head, smiling ruefully.

Harry glanced at her, offering a half-smile. "She's been through a lot today. It's not surprising that she's trying to keep strong in front of us. I think, for now, the two of us should go along with what she wants."

"I know, I know." Her body shifted uncomfortably, running her hand through her dark locks. "I can't help but worry about her, you know? She's the type to hide all of her problems inside and not let anyone know what's bothering her. She's always been like that ever since we were little. I just wish Kyoko would tell us what she's feeling. At least then I'd able to help her more," Hana sighed heavily. She pursed her lips. "I feel so ... useless."

"I know how you feel. It's like there's almost nothing we can do," Harry responded, slowly nodding. Harry understood her perspective, recalling countless times when he had felt useless and, at times, weak. "But for now I think it would be for the best if all of us stuck together."

Hana gazed on quietly for several moments, nodding in reluctant acceptance ... and froze in fear. Staring with absolute horror written within her eyes, her body began shake.

"What?" Harry's brows knit together. Worried by Hana's horrified face, his mind began to race as his paranoia crept back. His body stiffened in place and he caught sight of a frightened Kyoko, standing not too far ahead. Her cell phone was forgotten on the ground in front of her. Harry's throat dried as whatever loomed over him continued to linger. Ever so slowly his emerald pools slowly moved towards the corner of his vision and caught an image of what gained such looks from the girls.

Behind him was nothing less than an absolute monstrosity. There was a relatively tall ... man, whose skin appeared shrivelled. His eyes were absent, gaping holes and his facial expression bordered between ghastly disgust and seemingly, cruel pleasure. Harry zoomed on the greyish bottle that rested between the creature's razor-sharp nails, which he dangled in twisted delight and eagerness. The bottle was labeled in English and Harry felt his eyes go wide once he recognized it.

_'SULFIRIC ACID._'

Harry swallowed thickly, immediately realizing the implications. He felt his body screaming at him to get away. Yet, he remained in place, feeling the strange sensation beforehand returning, and this time it felt like it was being directed towards him more than ever.

"Move!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Feeling his body obeying his commands once again, he dodged the threatening swipe from the green-garbed man and slid in front of Hana. Beside him appeared an older brunet male wearing a white doctor's coat. His face was blank as he stared on with a look of boredom. He seemed vaguely familiar to Harry; however, this was not the time nor the place for such things.

"Hmm, attacking young and vulnerable girls isn't something I can forgive," the man commented, briskly eyeing the man coldly.

"D-doctor Shamal!" Kyoko exclaimed, timidly joining them and hiding behind Hana.

Hana wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Urgh, the perverted doctor is on the scene."

_Perverted __doctor__? _Harry had absolutely no idea what Hana had meant; not that he particularly cared, given the current circumstances. "Can we all focus on the guy that's trying to kill us, please? We can all chat later!" he remarked, his voice sharp and firm. "He's out-numbered. He can't take all of us on."

The man, now known as Shamal, grunted. "Don't be too sure of that, kid. He's one of the two infamous Bloody Twins, a pair of serial killers from Italy. The title isn't just for show, so keep your guard up."

"Thanks for the warning," Harry said, pulling out his guns and raising them defensively. He inwardly questioned why there were serial killers in Namimori and why they were their targets. He pushed aside those thoughts for the time being, deciding to focus on making it out alive. His body flew towards the serial killer with astounding speed, swatting his forearm and knocking the hand that held the sulfuric acid out of the way. Then, he spun his body around and landed a kick straight to the centre of the Twin's stomach.

Shamal smirked, appearing beside him. "Looks like it's my turn!" Not a moment later, his fist shot forwards, connecting with the green-garbed man's face. Shamal slammed him down into the concrete before stepping on him and shuffling his foot in his stomach. "By the way," Shamal remarked, smirking coldly. "I should warn you — as a doctor of course — you have Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome."

As soon as those words left Shamal's mouth, the killer's body underwent a process too horrible to describe. Harry stared at the unmoving body that lay before them on the pavement.

Harry felt stunned by what he had just witnessed. But Hana took the words right out of his mouth, approaching the body with hesitation as she loomed down with stricken disbelief. "Is ... is he ..."

"Dead? Very much so," Shamal answered calmly, sliding his arms into his pockets, and his eyes narrowing. "_That _guy's instincts are always dead on."

_That guy?_ _Who was Shamal even referring to in the first place?_ A feeling nagged Harry at the back of his mind. Somehow he knew exactly who "that guy" was. Though it wasn't important at the moment. The fact that the three of them were safe and unharmed was what counted. Shaking his head ruefully, his eyes turned, widening in surprise as he saw a flock of yellow birds flying above them. It was out of place because, as far as he knew, those types of birds were not common in Japan. His lips pressed together, holding a steady gaze at them before tearing away and focusing his attention back to the girls.

"You two are okay, right?"

Hana nodded, gulping cautiously. "I'm ... I'm fine."

"Y-yes, I'm fine," Kyoko said, giving a short, timid nod, even though her face betrayed her fright.

"Don't let your guards down just yet. You said before that this guy is one of the 'Bloody Twins,' right?" Harry's attention shifted to Shamal, gaining a confirmation from the older man. "Which means there's still another one running around. We need to find him before —"

He was cut off by a sharp, twisted cry not too far from where they currently were.

Shamal gave a lazy smile. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that little problem, brat. Looks like those two were able to dispatch the second one quite easily. Not too surprising, given her level of skill," he mused thoughtfully, tilting his head, while his smirk seemed to grow wider. Not giving either of them a chance to speak, Shamal moved to where the cry had come from. This prompted the three to follow after him quickly, keeping up with the man's surprisingly brisk walk to a nearby park. Upon their arrival, they were rather surprised to see Haru hidden protectively by the older versions of Lambo and Ipin. Ipin stood in a fighting stance in front of the unconscious body that lay before them. This Twin looked exactly like other male before hand, right down to the last detail.

"Haru!" Kyoko ran past the body and straight over to the brunette, throwing herself into a relieved embrace, Hana following not too far behind her.

Harry watched from the sidelines, feeling a small wave of relief wash over him. Then he turned his eyes towards the defeated male. At least that was one thing out of the way; all they had to do now was find the others. Wherever they were. The wizard's eyes moved to the two older versions of the kids that usually hung around Tsuna and the others, recalling their previous meeting several months back. "You two alright? No injuries or anything?"

The older Lambo shook his head. "We're fine, young Harry. Ipin alone had been enough for that guy," he said. "Not that I couldn't have done it by myself —"

"Lambo," Ipin chided, frowning at him. "Now is not the time for you to boast about your so-called strength."

"Ipin!" Lambo exclaimed, hurt by her words.

Harry felt a throbbing headache beginning to form; he really didn't want to see an alternate version of Ron and Hermione fighting. "Okay, that's enough, you two. Do either of you know where Tsuna and the others went?"

"Harry-san," Ipin began with a serious look on her face. "The others, they've all gone to Kokuyo Land; that is where the perpetrators are. Tsuna and the others plan on bringing them to justice!"

"Kokuyo land?" Hana spoke up looking at them, her brows furrowed as she went deep into thought. "As in the Kokuyo Land Amusement Park? That place has been closed down for years ..."

Shamal's eyes narrowed. "Which makes it a convenient spot to set up operations. No one would question a group of teenagers checking it out; probably calling it teenage rebellion or something. It's perfect for them. And it gives them the home advantage, too." His expression darkened. "It's likely that Tsuna's group was lured there. It's probably a trap."

"Which means they're in danger," Harry growled out, clenching his hands into fists. "We have to go and help them."

Hana shot him a look. "How?" She quickly raised her hand before he even gotten a chance to say anything. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't, but stop and think for a moment. How are any of us going to even get there?"

Harry opened his mouth to make a retort, but words failed him. It hit him like a ton of bricks, realizing that Hana had a point. None of them were old enough to drive (or apparate in Harry's case). Somehow he doubted that Shamal drove his way to their location. Admittedly, Harry had played with the idea of rushing back to the shrine and grabbing his broomstick before remembering that it was no longer in his possession. Knowing the Dursleys, it had most likely been destroyed along with the rest of his things barring the invisibility cloak, the album, the map and his wand. A surge of grief rushed through him, but he ignored it. His broomstick wasn't important, but his friends definitely were.

His mind raced with several ideas on how to get to Kokuyo Land, wherever that place was. Taking a bus seemed to be the ideal choice in the long run. The question was how far would the bus take them and how long would it take the bus to arrive?

And even if they did arrive, what would be waiting for them there? Would going in guns blazing really be a good idea?

"One of us should stay," Harry slowly began, frowning. "In case something happens." It wasn't a pleasant outlook; he wasn't a fool to deny the possibility of ... some of them not making it in the end. If his previous adventures had taught him anything, danger was inevitable. While he trusted Tsuna and the rest faithfully, Harry refused to let anything fall to chance. "You two," he said, his attention turning to Lambo and Ipin. "Head back to Tsuna's house."

"But —" the teenage Ipin protested before Lambo placed a hand on her shoulder.

He shook his head. "Our time is almost up, Ipin. It's for the best that we leave this to the others." Lambo gave them a quick nod. "Good luck and be careful. C'mon." Without any further protest, he gently guided the girl away.

"You're not leaving us behind," Hana stated firmly, shooting a stare in Harry's direction.

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you three behind." He had a distinct feeling that, if he attempted to do so, it wouldn't end in his favour. "Now all that's needed is a way for us to get there, and quickly," Harry commented with a sigh.

"Did someone say quickly?" A rather smug tone caught Harry's attention. Standing by the side of the parkway was none other than Gamma, who gave a rather cheerful wave of his hand. "Long time no see, kid," the blond said, lazily approaching them. "Looks like you need some help. Mind if I provide some assistance?"

This ... was convenient. A little too convenient for Harry's liking, but against his better judgement, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, or however the saying went. For the moment, Gamma appeared to be an ally. A cautious and suspicious ally, but one nonetheless.

Though, the fact that the other had randomly disappeared those months ago while visiting Harry after the little car accident made him vaguely wary of Gamma. The teen didn't quite know whether he had been unfair to him, but this wasn't the time to allow himself to be dwelling _too _much on it. They now had a method of quickly getting everyone to their destination.

"You know him?" Haru spoke, having remained oddly quiet for a change, peering from behind Kyoko's and Hana's shoulders to see Gamma. For a brief moment, Harry had been certain that she blushed right then and there, or maybe his mind had been playing tricks on him.

"We met a few months back," Gamma answered, vaguely.

Harry nodded swiftly, glancing at him. "Listen, we don't really have a lot of time. We need to get to Kokuyo Land quickly. Do you mind giving us a ride there?"

"Are you sure you can trust him?" Shamal growled. His eyes narrowed darkly as he regarded the blond.

"None of us have a choice right now! Save the fighting for later!" Hana chided him, not caring that the brunet was a doctor and had saved their lives mere minutes ago. "Are we going or what?"

In silent agreement the five got into Gamma's car, which headed straight into enemy territory without a moment's hesitation. Truthfully, there really was no way of knowing what could be lying in wait for them; the mastermind already proved himself not just dangerous but also very intelligent. This was obvious from the organized 'random' acts of violence and the loyalty of two trained serial killers. This wasn't mere chance; everything that happened so far in Namimori had been done deliberately, but for what reason? Harry had absolutely no clue. There was no telling what the mastermind's endgame was. Even so, he wasn't about to let some psychopath have his way, not that easily.

One thing was certain, whoever pulled the strings wasn't someone to underestimate. The mastermind came off as a rather meticulous person, strong in strength, intelligence, ruthlessness and charisma. All four of those qualities made that person that much more dangerous to everyone else. One thing remained on his mind, why the four of them had been targeted in the first place. Harry sincerely doubted that it had been random.

Whatever the reason, it would be revealed in due time.

Arriving at Kokuyo Land hadn't been what Harry expected. The buildings looked abandoned and decrepit, almost to the point where a small breeze could bring them all to the ground. How they managed to survive after so many years was beyond him.

"So, this is Kokuyo Land, huh? Looks like a dump," Hana commented nonchalantly, attempting to hide her nervousness. Her hands gripped at her arms while she stared vacantly ahead; she didn't want to show weakness to them. "The others are somewhere around here, right?"

Haru shot her fist into the air. "What are we all waiting for then? Let's go!"

"What about him?" Harry nodded back at Shamal, who decided to remain behind rather than journey with them. The tension from the small park had followed them as Gamma and Shamal continued to stare each other down. It was more than likely the two had some history together. Harry wasn't going to barge in on that if he could avoid it. Hopefully by the time they returned, the two would have things sorted out or at the very least come to an understanding.

Hana wrinkled her nose. "There's no way in hell I want that perverted doctor follows us. I'm going ahead." She quickly stalked off with Haru following after her, which left Harry and Kyoko behind. The two exchanged bemused smiles before tagging right after the two.

Cautiously moving onwards, the four explored the barren area as carefully as possible to avoid setting off any traps or alerting the mastermind. That was one thing that Harry planned on making sure didn't happen. The training that Reborn gave him over the months helped develop his muscles and reaction time, but the teen was unsure if it would be enough in a fight. Though he didn't doubt the infant's training, Harry was a rather pessimistic person. Or as he preferred, a person with a realistic point of view. Nonetheless, if a fight did end up breaking out, he'd make sure to give it his all.

While not the strongest person in the world, his speed and quick thinking was usually what helped him succeed in the end. Besides his luck, which did play a big role in his battles, too. Harry would be a fool to not acknowledge that he was unnaturally lucky, but that didn't mean that he wanted to rely on it. Luck had its uses, but it did run out. That's why he felt grateful to Reborn for taking the time to train him properly, honing the necessary skills needed for fighting. The battle back in Italy had taken a toll on him (he recalled how useless he was in that fight). If not for the others, he probably would have died. He began to take the training seriously. Harry didn't want to feel that powerless ever again, so he'd be strong enough to protect not only himself but also those important to him.

Sappy as it sounded, it was the truth; he wanted to protect his friends. After everything that had happened to him thus far, Harry wanted to at least be able to do that. Harry knew he wasn't the strongest person, but even so ... this was his resolve. He wanted to protect them no matter what.

"Harry!" Haru's scream snapped him out of his thoughts. His emerald eyes darted to the girl, seeing her distress. "Hurry and get over here!"

Harry frowned deeply; that wasn't a typical reaction from her. He approached Hana and Haru, each of them wearing a different expression. Hana held a suspicious and guarded look, opposed to Haru's horror-filled gaze. Mentally he began to prepare himself for whatever the two had stumbled upon. Kyoko walked beside him, worryingly. As they walked, his eyes scanned the damage along the way, spotting several large holes as well. He dismissed them after a quick glance but spared a look at a damaged table. It looked like it had been blasted into millions of pieces by some form of dynamite. His mind instantly went to Gokudera, and Harry let out a small snort in bemusement, mainly due to the fact that Harry could vaguely see the short-tempered teen doing that.

His eyes went wide, feeling his body stop in shock, and blinked rapidly. "MM?" he exclaimed.

Lying on the ground, in a strange trance, was MM. Her entire appearance had been completely tarnished, uniform wise, with purple residue splattered across her lips and fingers. Next to her, lied a clarinet, melted with the same purple ooze. Needless to say, it was most likely useless now. Like the Twins, she also wore a similar looking uniform, though the very thought of her being in league with the enemy didn't even enter his mind.

"How is she?" Harry inquired, kneeling down to the redheaded girl's level.

Hana grabbed him by the shoulder. "Harry!" she hissed lowly, glaring at the girl with distrust. "She's wearing a Kokuyo Middle uniform! Just like those two serial killers; she's probably working with them! You can't trust her!"

"But —" Harry protested, whirling around to meet her stubborn, angry eyes. His heart argued that MM was his friend and wouldn't be doing something like that, while his mind reasoned the opposite due to her current attire. His eyes shut briefly, trying to handle the situation. There wasn't a need to restrain MM for the time being, but at the same time none them could simply leave her. She was vulnerable. The back of his hand rested against her forehead, feeling some relief. It seemed that other than being semi-unconscious, she didn't feel too warm. MM appeared to be alright for the most part.

However, leaving her alone in the open was out of the question, regardless of whether she was working with the mastermind or not. None of them knew anything, not her circumstances and not why MM happened to be in Kokuyo Land in the first place. Pointing fingers based on where they found the girl was simply wrong in his mind. He himself had ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time, so who was to say that the same happened to her?

He glanced back to the girls. "We can't leave her. If she's an enemy, then we'll deal with her when the time comes. For the mean time, bringing her with us might be a good idea. That way we'd all be able to keep an eye on her when she wakes."

"What's stopping her from attacking us when she does wake up?" Hana prompted, disagreeing with him.

"Worse case scenario would be you and Haru knocking her unconscious again," Harry shrugged, picking the redhead off of the ground bridal-style, holding her close to his chest so that she wouldn't fall. He glanced down at MM, before he continued on without warning. The echoing of Hana's growls was not lost on him. He felt rather bad for walking off without saying anything, but Harry knew they had wasted enough time as it was and they couldn't afford to waste any more by arguing. They passed by a concrete wall embedded with a giant screen, a few drops of blood on the ground and a torn hat nearby. The hat looked tattered and old; Harry dismissed the object in question as he continued on but not before he waited for the three girls to catch up to him.

There was safety in numbers after all and they'd need to be together if the four of them ever stood a chance at finding the others. The complete silence of the place unsettled him; it was far too quiet. That in itself put him on the defensive.

"Where is Tsuna-san?" Haru whined quietly, holding onto Hana fearfully.

The taller girl sighed, a brief flicker of worry passing through her eyes. "I don't know. They can't be too far from here, could they?"

"I don't know, either," Kyoko shook her head with a stoic expression. However, like Hana, her eyes betrayed the worry hidden behind them; once again she was trying to appear strong in front of them. "We can't give up. We'll find Tsuna, Bianchi, Yamamoto and Gokudera. We have to." Her tone took a firm edge, fire igniting in her eyes.

Harry nodded. "We will. Don't worry Kyoko, we'll find everyone —"

"Yamamoto!"

Before he could even register what Kyoko had said, his eyes shot to where she had been pointing. A glimpse of green and black entered his line of sight, and Harry squinted his eyes as he moved his glasses up slightly. She was right! Lying right next to the base of a tree was none other than Takeshi, except the tall teen also appeared to be unconscious. His chest clenched tightly, and his legs began to move on their own as he made a dash towards the baseball player without a second thought. Harry gently placed MM on the ground, and his attention turned to Takeshi. He began to shake the teen's shoulders, yet it seemed he wouldn't wake. His throat felt strangely dry as he attempted once more and was met with the same results.

"C'mon. Wake up, Takeshi!" Harry chided. He moved his hands towards the teen's neck to check his pulse. A small, relieved sigh escaped him; at least his friend was alive. He almost thought that the Takeshi had ... he shook his head roughly. No, it had been a stupid thought.

"Is he okay? Is he hurt?" Haru quickly asked, rushing over to Harry's side to inspect the unconscious baseball player.

Hana pursed her lips tightly, eyes narrowed. "It seems Yamamoto took quite the beating. Look at his bat," she said, gesturing towards the object beside the teen. The metal bat had been bent in half, several cracks splintered throughout. Whoever or whatever did this had been very strong. She kneeled down, picking up the broken bat and frowning. Her eyes narrowed even more. "It's unusable now. It's completely destroyed."

"Which means he's defenceless. Like the rest of us," Harry remarked, standing up from the post and shaking his head. "Great. Just great."

"Don't you have those guns Reborn gave you?" Haru piped up, curiously tilting her head at him. "You usually carry them around like Gokudera with his dynamite and Yamamoto with his bat."

Harry hesitated. "That's ..." It wasn't entirely wrong. He did carry them around constantly, having them carefully hidden away from prying eyes. He knew of the laws concerning gun control in Japan and didn't want to be arrested or worse. Though another reason was that for some odd, unexplainable reason, he felt rather naked without them. Much like his wand, Harry preferred having his guns on him at all times. "Yeah, I do."

It was simply easier to admit it instead of trying to make a pointless excuse.

Haru grinned, satisfied with the answer. "Which means _you're _not defenceless! We have you to protect us," she declared loudly and cheerfully before taking a rather strange stance, causing Kyoko and Hana to giggle.

"When you put it that way ..." His voice trailed off a bit, inclining his head as he thought over her words. They weren't entirely wrong as at least with his guns the four had some form of protection. "But I've never really learned how to use these guns in combat. Hell, I've yet to actually shoot anything!" Harry remarked, sheepishly and awkwardly. There really hadn't been a need for them outside of the attack back in Italy and the strange training sessions that Reborn dragged him into.

Hana moved to make a comment but was interrupted. "Then maybe you should start now before you lose your chance." The four froze instantly at the voice, not trusting their bodies to move as they discreetly glanced around them. Obviously, the source belonged to a man. "I'm over here." A grunt came a few moments afterwards, this time a bit louder. They spotted a man completely clad in black near the side of a cliff. His chest was exposed, revealing old scars along his muscled body. He looked like a cross between a rocker and a punk. His hair was spiky and wild, falling all over the place, and there was a tattoo on the side of his cheek, resembling claw marks. His hands were encased in fingerless gloves with jagged, steel edges on top. His shirt lacked sleeves, which revealed his rugged, muscular arms.

"Who are you? And what did you mean by that?" Haru demanded, glaring angrily. "Why don't you come down here and say that to our faces!"

Kyoko whirled at her. "Haru!"

"What?" Haru snapped back at her, eyes remaining on the man. "Who's he to tell us something like that!"

The man wore a controlled and vacant expression as he watched them in silence. "My name is Lanchia," he grunted, pushing himself off the ground and letting out a hiss of pain as his hand snapped to his arm. "You ..." His eyes narrowed at them as he struggled to stand, almost stumbling towards them. "You're the Vongola Decimo's friends. I remember seeing you ..." Lanchia commented slowly, keeping his distance.

"Vongola Decimo?" Kyoko asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Wait, Vongola? That's Tsuna!" Haru remarked, brightly. Her anger faded for the moment but had returned full force as she resuming glaring at him. "What happened to Tsuna and Yamamoto, and where are Gokudera and Bianchi?"

Lanchia remained silent, suddenly dropping to the floor cross-legged and eyeing them. "They went to go and confront the mastermind behind the attacks. Everything that's happened is all because of _that_ one man. He's one of the most dangerous and insane men I have ever come across." His words were filled with disgust and anger, and he clenched his hand into a tight fist. "I lost everything important to me because of him! My entire family is dead! His madness knows no bounds."

"Who is this mastermind?" Harry gathered up the courage to ask, swallowing thickly.

"Mukuro Rokudo."

So, this 'Mukuro' had been behind the entire plot. Of course, whether Lanchia was telling the truth or not was yet to be seen. Even so, there was a solemn finality that came from the man, and Harry couldn't help but feel that his words were true. If not ... well he'd deal with him later.

It seemed that everything that happened during the week resulted from this man's desires. Harry's hands curled into fists, feeling his anger beginning to surface. His eyes locked with the older male's dark pools. "Where is this Mukuro Rokudo?" Harry demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Over there," Lanchia nodded towards another building with a dark expression. "The Vongola Decimo is with a woman with long hair, a kid with dynamite and an infant. They went inside to put a stop to him."

Harry nodded. That was all the information he needed. "Then that's where I'm going. The three of you are going to stay here. Treat Takeshi and look after Lanchia and MM for me," he said, lowering the girl into Haru's arms. "If none of us are out of the building in an hour, I want all of you to contact Shamal and Gamma as fast as you can and get the hell out of here." His eyes snapped towards Hana. "I know that you're capable of standing on your own, Hana, but I need the three of you acting as back up. If something happens, I'm leaving everything to you three."

"Harry ..." Hana began, words failing her as she stared in shock.

Kyoko held her hands together staring. "Be careful!"

"We'll be waiting for you and the others!" Haru promised, sniffing.

Lanchia grunted, looking away. "Don't underestimate Mukuro Rokudo."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'll make sure to come back with everyone. There's no way I'll be taken down that easily," Harry reassured them, eyes flickering towards the oldest addition to the group, nodding slowly. He knew nothing of this Mukuro guy. Even so, the teen planned to take him on as seriously as he did with Voldemort. He'd use everything at his disposal in order to take him down, no matter the cost. Sharing a quick but sharp nod with the others, Harry moved towards the building.

It seemed that the outside wasn't the only part that was worn down; the very walls seemed ready to give way. Large cracks could be seen from far away, where moss and fungus sprouted in huge growths. It was hard to imagine that someone would willingly set up and live in such a rundown building. Though Harry could understand as to how the place could be useful since no one would ever suspect a thing. His hand pressed against a wall as his pace began to quicken, his anxiety with finding the other four rising. He didn't know how the three were doing or if they had managed to confront this Mukuro. Regardless, finding them would place his worries at ease and let him feel more confident with taking on the so-called mastermind.

With Lanchia's vague explanation, he couldn't help but wonder about how similar Mukuro sounded in comparison to Voldemort or rather, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Though, evil never seemed to matter when it came down to age; Draco Malfoy proved that during his second year.

His expression hardened as he curled his hands into fists and bit his lips, feeling an inkling of anger surge through his body. He wouldn't let anything happen to his friends, not while he was around.

The darkened halls continued on for what felt like ages. There appeared to be one suitable path since the rest of the doors and passages were blocked off and sections of the stairs had collapsed. It wasn't a pretty picture, cementing that the building hadn't been taken care of over the years of its abandonment. Harry sincerely doubted that the place would last much longer, and all the while he hoped there wasn't anything or anyone else ready to spring out and catch him by surprise. His paranoia once again surfaced as he felt the floor above him beginning to shake violently. His head instantly shot up, and he stared for a few moments as his determination began to blaze within him.

Harry ran as fast as he could, feeling the air push against his chest. He had a rather vague idea of where the three were now and hoped they were alright. He grabbed the corner of the wall to make a sharp turn before shooting down the upper halls. He pushed himself father and faster, wanting to reach the end. He heard a loud clamour echo through the hall, sounding much like a crash. His eyes fell upon an open door in front of him and he forced himself to stop, skidding slightly on the way.

In front of him was Tsuna, who looked a little worse for wear. His face was covered with dirt and his clothes were torn. However, his attention was directed to the side, whose brown eyes were glimmering softly, slightly horrified.

"Tsuna?"

The brunet snapped out of his thoughts, staring. "H-harry?" he shouted.

"Are you alright?" Not wasting any time, Harry quickly moved towards his friend. "You look like you've been through hell! Where are Gokudera and Bianchi? Are they here, too?"

"How did you know where we were? A-and I'm fine, exhausted and in pain, but fine. Gokudera and Bianchi though ..." Tsuna's voice trailed off, glancing towards the side and falling silent. Harry frowned as he followed Tsuna's line of sight, noticing the two lying on the ground rather uncomfortably. "Mukuro managed to possess them and his subordinates."

_Posses them? _Harry swallowed thickly, feeling his stomach twist in disgust and horror. How could anyone do such a thing? More importantly, were Gokudera and Bianchi alright? What had Mukuro forced them to do? His eyes moved from the two to another three who were unconscious on the ground, and he frowned thinly. One of them he had recognized from earlier, but the other two were unfamiliar. Though it didn't take a genius to figure out that the one with the fresh wounds was Mukuro himself. He didn't know how Tsuna managed to stop him, but Harry felt proud of his friend. "At least it's over," he commented, smiling ruefully before pointing to Tsuna. "By the way, what's with the gloves?"

Tsuna flushed deeply. "T-that's, well ... it's difficult to say but —" He was about to say something before his expression changed to relief. "The medical team is here!"

"Medical team?" Harry turned his head, and felt his blood run cold. _What where Dementors doing here?_ His teeth ground together, watching as they began to close in on them. He whipped out his wand before anyone could say anything and focused on a memory. His newest and one of the most cherished memories he had: meeting Tsuna and the others. "_Expecto Patronum!"_

His Patronus leaped from his wand and charged at the three 'Dementors,' clashing into them as the room was filled with a bright light. Harry poured every bit of his energy into his spell, refusing to give up. He didn't know the reason why they were here, but the teen didn't particularly care at this point. They were here in front of Tsuna and the others, and that's all that mattered. The fact that Tsuna managed to even see the Dementors was unusual, but he filed it away for later and instead concentrated on his spell.

However ... he felt a powerful wave knock into him, cancelling his Patronus and blasting him onto his behind, hard.

"Who dares attack the Vindice?" a low and menacing voice boomed through the air.

Harry grunted, glaring at them. "Vindice? Not ... Dementors?"

"Dementors? Vindice?" Tsuna also questioned, quite taken aback by the scene that played out in front of him. He didn't burst out in hysterics and instead appeared more bewildered and confused than anything else.

"It seems that there's been a bit of a mix up here. Harry must have mistaken you for these so-called 'Dementors.' Harry, the Vindice are the police that deal with criminals that are beyond normal law enforcement," Reborn said, while pacifying the black-cloaked figures calmly and informatively. "Going against their wishes and judgements isn't wise. Just leave them be." The solemn and quiet tone hadn't been lost on either of the teens as they watched in horror as three metal collars wrapped around the three criminals.

_So they weren't Dementors._ Harry felt a tad bit embarrassed for overreacting like that. He got off the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for attacking you, I mistook you for something else," Harry apologized; it had been his mistake after all.

The Vindice remained silent, staring at him. "Do not let it happen again."

With that said, the three Vindice began to pull backwards, dragging the three by their chains. Tsuna quickly moved forward. "W-wait! What about Lanchia? Will he be punished, too? It wasn't his fault. Mukuro took control of him and made him do all those horrible things!" the brunet protested worryingly.

"His fate has already been decided." Without any elaboration, the three vanished from sight and left Tsuna, Reborn and Harry. Victory came with a sense of loss and silence fell over them. They were unable to speak or were uncertain of what to say. Three criminals had been arrested, yet a possibility of a friend being taken as well damped the mood and made Harry wonder if MM had also been arrested by the Vindice, too.

All in all, Harry felt like utter shit.

"Harry?" The teen turned towards the brunet. "How did you create that light just now?"

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 complete.<p>

And here it is everyone, the fourteenth and long awaited chapter of Familiga! I apologize for the long wait but I really hope that it had been worth it!

I want to be able to thank all of my readers, the reviewers and my wonderful beta for staying with this fic and helping me along the way. I sincerely hope that all of you will continued to read until the very end, as things are now going to start heat up; with Harry's secret not unveiled just what will happen?

Make sure to leave a review on your way out, until next time!


	15. Revelations

Chapter 15: Revelations

_Why was this man here?_ Shamal played with the lighter in his coat pocket, discreetly eyeing the younger man leaning against the car. Well-known in the underworld as the right hand of the lioness of the Giglio Nero famiglia: Gamma. Even at his current age, the young man had grown quite a reputation. Whispers echoed quietly of his strength and formidability. It wasn't uncommon for someone as strong as Gamma to exist — rare but not uncommon. Yet, he continued to climb through the ladders of the hierarchy until he gained the position of second in command. That alone spoke volumes of Gamma's strength; his ruthlessness and ever-growing potential could become a giant threat in the future.

However, why was a member of a non-allied family assisting them? Did they have some business with the escapees? Shamal already knew of the prisoners' escape from Reborn. Had these prisoners wronged the other family in some way? Or did they have ties to them in a different manner? His eyes narrowed, glancing back at the young blond.

While Shamal viewed himself as a freelance assassin and doctor, his time spent with the Vongola Decimo, regardless of the fact that the brat was male, made him realize he felt some form of loyalty towards them all. Though the doctor wouldn't go so far as to become a part of the Vongola familiga. That said, he would honestly admit to standing beside them in times of conflict. Personally, Shamal preferred working alone, having been forced to rely solely on himself for years. His ties to Gokudera's family were more or less out of a strained friendship. Work, of course, came first and foremost.

The brunet ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. He'd grown too soft lately ... No, his eyes narrowed and remained firmly on the blond.

"If you have something to say, then say it already. Your glare is getting on my nerves," Gamma commented, giving a sideways glance to him before his stare returned forward.

Shamal cautiously pushed himself from the car, keeping a notable distance between them. "Hmm, I'm just wondering what a member of the Giglio Nero familiga was doing all the way out here in Japan. It's not like any of your members to be straying too far from their precious boss," he replied calmly.

Gamma threw him an angry glower — Shamal smirked; apparently he hit a nerve. He watched as the man grumbled, twisting his body angrily.

"That's none of your concern, Shamal. All that you need to know is that I'm no harm to your precious Vongola Decimo. You can check with my boss if you have doubts, but I don't think you'd be able to get even that far." The other hitman seemed very confident in his words, smirking like a predator.

His stare lingered a little longer on the man before nodding, satisfied with the answer. There had been no trace of deceit in Gamma's words and his stance only spoke of irritation from his casual mentioning of his boss. The entire family always appeared to be very protective of _her_. Shamal could definitely understand why: besides her stunning beauty and strength in combat, she had a gentle yet firm disposition. There was something about that boss that made people flock to her like moths to a fire. He had the privilege of meeting her once before. That day Shamal learned about her reputation and strength. She wasn't someone to underestimate.

"I'll make sure to look into that later," the doctor responded, professionally. His eyes lingered a bit longer on the blond before moving to the ruined amusement park. It had been a while since the kids entered. Inwardly, he was rather worried about them but kept a mask of indifference. He hoped they were alright. Since Reborn was with them, the doctor rationalized that everything was going according to the Arcobaleno's plan. That didn't help the feeling of dread that filled his stomach.

Gamma smirked. "Don't worry. You'll have a chance to ask soon."

Shamal whirled around sharply once he heard those words. The _implications _had not been lost on him — feeling his throat go dry, he stared at the victorious smirk on the blond. Swallowing slowly, he returned to his silent vigil.

The two men stepped away from the car as the kids returned, the majority of them tattered and worn from their battles. They could smell the blood on them despite how far they were. Who the blood belonged to didn't matter since they all made it back. Even so, it was obvious that the children had witnessed their first and truest view of the mafia world. As cruel as it was, having them learn about it early on would help them become stronger, or so Shamal thought. Innocence never lasted forever. Among the group were a few unknowns: three of them were adults and the two kids — two of them were wearing Kokuyo Land Uniforms.

He frowned; it didn't surprise him that the mastermind captured hostages to make them examples and to bend others to his will. It was an underhanded, yet effective tactic on the weak-minded.

"The medical team should be arriving shortly," Gamma stated, walking up and ignoring their incredulous stares. "Is that satisfactory, Reborn?"

The sun Arcobaleno remained silent, masking his emotions with a small smirk. "That will do, Gamma." His beady black eyes glanced back, and the smirk seemed to grow.

"The others," he said, while pointing to the two people, "are a faculty member and the principal of Kokuyo Middle before Mukuro took over the school and replaced them with 'Birds' whom acted as both the teacher and a student with the use of Rokudo's illusions. The one of the students is Hitsuji Masato, the former student president of Kokuyo Middle and the girl is a member of Mukuro's gang, but … the Vindice left her."

Shamal's eyes narrowed. "They left her? Hmm, that's strange. Why did they leave her?"

"I don't know. That's why I plan on keeping an eye on her in the meantime. The last fellow is Lanchia. A man whose life was controlled by Mukuro ever since the massacre in Northern Italy," Reborn continued grimly, eyes settling on the older male of the group. "The Vindice must have understood and let him free knowing he had no control over his actions until Tsuna freed him during the fight."

"The medical team will make sure to give him the best treatment," Gamma promised, overhearing their conversation.

The Arcobaleno nodded. "I'll leave it to you then!"

"How are the kids?" the blond inquired curiously.

"Today's battle took a toll on all of them, Tsuna the most out of all. Each of them went through difficult trials," Reborn answered solemnly as he sighed. "Despite everything today, Tsuna managed to pull through in the end and defeat Mukuro."

"The kid managed to do that?" Shamal whistled, impressed.

"He still has a long way to go!" Reborn piped up, grinning ear to ear.

The three shared a soft chuckle before the ringing of sirens pierced the sky and caught their attention — the ambulances were headed their way. As the vehicles pulled up, they gathered those who were injured and carefully got them all inside, one by one. Once done, they left Kokuyo Land behind with the amusement park fading in the distance.

* * *

><p>Tsuna began to stir and opened his eyes to the blinding ceiling lights above. The brunet winced at the pain that rippled through him, holding the side of his chest and grunting sharply. As carefully as possible, he slowly adjusted himself into a sitting position.<p>

Tsuna groaned in pain. Everything hurt! He felt a burn surge through his body, and even breathing caused him pain. The side effects of the rebuke bullet were revealed after the battle between Mukuro and himself. Tsuna felt rather embarrassed that he collapsed so pathetically. Despite all of that, the exhaustion from fighting Lanchia and Mukuro ended up winning him over, having never been in two consecutive fights until recently. It made sense that his body would give out, especially after using the new bullet.

Brown eyes landed on the bandages, recalling the fight — how different everything seemed to him, and how different he felt. There were no words to describe what had been coursing through his mind during and after the battles; it was like fear and awe mixing together in a raging storm. It was wondrous and frightening. It was the very first time Tsuna truly felt confident and strong in his own abilities. The brunet never thought it would ever truly be possible to stand on his own because of his 'dame'-ness but now ... the teen saw a glimmer of hope beyond that. While Tsuna knew that the bullet was responsible for the kick-start, it helped him realize that he could change. That he _could_ become more than simple Dame-Tsuna, he only needed to take the first step.

After everything that happened today, he didn't want to be weak anymore. He'd barely managed to do anything at all. And because of that the others had gotten hurt. His hands curled, gripping at the bed sheets as he stared at the wall. He wouldn't let it happen again.

To make matters worse, the girls and Harry got involved as well. Seeing them almost get killed by the Bloody Twins on Birds' screen almost made him vomit. Tsuna expected those working under Mukuro to be particularly cruel and sadistic, yet the methods Birds utilized disgusted him. Attacking innocent people with an absolute disregard for human life — it was luck and Reborn's quick thinking that allowed the others to be safe and sound. And once they were safe, Kyoko's group made their way to Kokuyo Land to help them! That brought a whole new level of worry; the brunet wanted to keep Kyoko, Hana, Haru and Harry as far away from the mafia world as possible. Yamamoto, Lambo and Gokudera were in too far to escape, but he didn't want the same to happen to the others!

Yet, Tsuna recalled the events after his battle with Mukuro, and the strange power Harry used against the Vindice. What was it? Tsuna could tell that it wasn't malicious. In fact he felt as if he was bathed in happiness. Feeling warm and secure in the presence of the silvery light, his fears were washed aside. But Harry appeared to be horrified afterwards, and for the life of him, Tsuna couldn't figure out why.

Perhaps it was because Harry didn't want them to find out? Just like how Tsuna didn't want him to find out about the mafia world. He'd known for some time now that Harry was keeping things from the group. He couldn't fault him for that since Tsuna was keeping things not just from Harry but from the girls, too.

Now, it seemed both of their respective secrets were revealed to one another. Normally, Tsuna would freak out if someone discovered that he was the future heir to the Vongola Family, but that didn't seem to be the case with Harry. In fact he would go so far as to say that he felt relieved that neither of them had anything to conceal from each other. They would finally be open and truthful without holding back. Tsuna would concede that he was uncertain as to how Kyoko, Hana and Harry would react to the revelation of his connections to the mafia. So far the others were able to accept it just fine since Gokudera had grown up all his life along with Bianchi and the same could be said about the younger three: Fuuta, Ipin and Lambo. He gripped the sheets tightly as his teeth gnashed together.

Memories flashed by as he recalled everything Mukuro placed Fuuta through during his captivity. The fact that the ex-mafioso would go so far and make Fuuta, a young child, do terrible things made his stomach turn horribly. While seeking solace in that Fuuta was returned safely and was able to fight off Mukuro's influence, it still disturbed and angered Tsuna that someone would do something like that to a child! At least, for now, it was over.

Whether the peace continued to last, Tsuna didn't know.

"Hey, you awake?" His eyes moved to the opened door. Yamamoto appeared from the back, smiling ear to ear before entering and carefully closing the door behind him. "Yo!"

Tsuna felt his lips blossom into a relieved smile. "Yamamoto! You're okay!"

"Yeah, the doctors and nurses did a good job fixing me up. They said I'd be able to play baseball again before the tournament starts," the baseball player commented with a large grin on his face. His arm was covered in bandages, which circled around his neck for support. "It isn't broken, but they said holding it like this would help with the healing process."

At the mention of his arm, Tsuna lowered his head, his eyes darkening as he recalled the battle between Ken and his friend when they first arrived at Kokuyo Land. It was his fault that Yamamoto was injured not once but twice and was forced to see the crueler aspects of the world they were brought into. Tsuna felt horrible that someone like Yamamoto was pulled in with him. If it hadn't been for Reborn, then his friend surely would have returned to playing baseball without as much as a care in the world —

"Tsuna, it's okay." Yamamoto's calm, gentle words cut through his train of thought. He found himself staring into the tranquil expression of the taller teen. "I chose to go with you, Tsuna. Besides, we're friends, aren't we? I'd have your back no matter where we go and whom we fight. I'll be right there, standing by your side."

Tsuna averted his gaze again, letting out a small sigh. "If it hadn't been for me, you'd be still playing baseball —"

"I'm still playing baseball," Yamamoto pointed out. "And this time I have friends; real friends, not the fake ones on my team. You showed me real friendship, Tsuna … and that, even if I do love a sport, there are more important things in life. Like you and the others."

His eyes softened, leaning forward and gripping the brunet's shoulder. A real grin spread across the taller teen's face. "So don't worry about it. Alright, Tsuna?"

"Yamamoto ..."

It was odd how the usually dense teen seemed to always know how to cheer people up, saying the right thing at exactly the right moment. His words and presence brought him peace and reassurance whenever something went wrong or when Reborn decided to let loose one of his crazy schemes. Yamamoto would be the first to help calm him down and deal with the insanity around him. Even now Tsuna felt all of the negative emotions in his body fade away at the words of his friend. His eyes flickered to him with a small but grateful smile.

"Thank you."

"Hey, no problem!" Yamamoto waved it off, grinning ear to ear. "What are friends for?"

Tsuna nodded his head, still smiling. Despite his inexperience with having real friends, they became the most important people in his life. Tsuna wanted to keep all of them safe, no matter how weak he was. After the battle back in Italy and what happened today, he didn't want any of them to be in danger again. Though doubtful that it would ever happen, the brunet knew he had his friends to count on if anything ever happened. By then, Tsuna would be able to stand side-by-side with them, confident in his strength. And this time without the aid of any bullet that Reborn used!

"Yeah, you're right." The brunet nodded slowly, as his smile curled into a worried frown. "Where are the others though? Are they okay?"

Yamamoto's stance seemed to change, becoming ... straightened, almost professional. "Gokudera has been through the worst out of all of us. He fought with the glasses guy, with Lanchia, and lastly with the glasses guy again — and then Mukuro took a lot out of him. But the doctors said that as long as he got the rest that he needed, he'd be right as rain. Bianchi's alright she just got knocked out for a bit so she should be up and walking about soon enough."

"Thank goodness."

Never before had Tsuna felt so relieved in his entire life! He almost slumped onto his back in relief; it felt like a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks, but he managed to force them back with sheer willpower alone. Letting out a small sniffle, the brunet wiped his eyes with his elbow.

"A-any other updates?"

"The girls are fine. They're all waiting outside with Harry," the baseball player commented after a thoughtful hum, a grin appeared on his face again. "The kid's out there with Doctor Shamal and some weird guy with the blond hair."

"Weird blond guy?" Tsuna blinked, repeating those words incredulously.

"Yeah!" The tall teen nodded energetically, the grin on his face seemed to grow. "I don't think him and Shamal get along all that well, they seemed to be glaring at one another. At least that's what I saw when I went by them."

_That almost reminds me of you and Gokudera,_ the brunet thought, but in a gentle manner, he decided to indulge his friend with a tentative smile. On the surface, to everyone else who witnessed the fights between Yamamoto and Gokudera, Tsuna knew that they saw one another as friends despite their differences. They just cared for one another in their own way.

"I see, hopefully they won't end up destroying the hospital." Tsuna attempted to make a joke, wearing a weak smile.

Yamamoto was kind enough to laugh. "That's true. I don't think the staff here would appreciate that!"

Tsuna almost snorted at that comment, imagining how things would play out. Yet in the end Reborn would find some way to force him to do all the cleaning. The teen almost gagged; that was the last thing he wanted. For now all he wanted to do was relax and rest from today's events.

"I think you're right." Tsuna grimaced with a crooked frown. Though he wondered whether the hospital staff was part of the Vongola. Or were they in Namimori Hospital? It didn't seem like it ... especially since he had finally begun to take notice of the room. It seemed far too polished and maintained for his liking, but he recalled that Namimori hospital was the same way. Perhaps he was simply over looking things.

Watching Yamamoto closely, he noticed that his friend's body was twitching in an awkward fashion, almost eagerly. Had he been keeping Yamamoto for too long? The taller teen had suffered a great deal of injures despite his claim, making Tsuna even more worried.

"Something wrong?" It seemed Yamamoto had noticed his staring.

"O-Oh! No, j-just tired is all!" Tsuna ended up laughing very awkwardly, trying to cover his staring, and he mentally chided himself for being so stupid. "Completely fine!"

"Ah. If you're sure." Yamamoto bought his excuse rather easily, nodding slowly before grinning once again. "If you're tired, then I'll leave you alone and check on the others again. Have a good nap then, Tsuna!"

Tsuna nodded, waving back slowly. "Y-yeah, see you in a bit, Yamamoto. And make sure to go and get your arm checked out okay?" After stuttering slightly when calling out to his friend, he received a thumbs-up in return as Yamamoto disappeared behind the door. Taking a few moments to wait, the brunet slumped back onto his bed rather carefully, not wanting to skid against the railing again. Resting his head against the pillow, he stared at the ceiling before once more falling into slumber.

* * *

><p>Takeshi hummed lightly, smiling as he closed the door. Tsuna must have been 'tired' from the fighting; all of them were rather exhausted from everything that transpired. At least they were able to take it easy. Satisfied, he grinned and walked down the white halls. Glancing behind him, he could see that the two adults were still glaring daggers at one another, arguing in hushed tones. He decided not to interfere as he continued along the way, briefly passing Bianchi's and Gokudera's rooms. A small snicker escaped him while he watched the woman stand over her brother in a concerned manner with the half-Italian boy barely able to fight back.<p>

It was nice to see that they were able to make quick and full recoveries! His eyes landed on his arm, the pain throbbing steadily through his body. It wasn't the worst injury Takeshi received. Besides, his arm would be fully functional by the time the tournament came around. Though out of the five, he was the one who received the least serious injury. Everyone else sustained greater damage — taking down Lanchia was very painful and Tsuna had to deal with fighting him and winning before heading off to deal with the so-called mastermind, Mukuro Rokudo. His free hand curled into a fist; he felt guilty for not being there for Tsuna during that fight, and while he didn't know what exactly happened, the baseball player knew that something had gone down in that building. Only Tsuna wasn't saying anything.

That was just like his friend, carrying the burden and pain without saying a word in fear of worrying them. Takeshi sincerely wished that Tsuna would open up and trust them a bit more. Yet he could understand his friend's reluctance. Tsuna was simply the type of person who didn't want to make anyone worried or concerned.

The same could also be said about Harry.

His eyes drifted to the English teen sitting patiently on the bench, keeping a stoic facade to mask the worry that lay beneath. Not that it was surprising; Yamamoto knew how to read people regardless of their masks. Harry and Tsuna were rather alike in many ways. Being able to read them was something akin to a second nature onto itself.

Takeshi moved to his friend calmly, taking note of the other boy's body language. On the outside Harry appeared to be perfectly fine — calm, almost serene. Though Takeshi could see through that rather easily. Sitting next his friend, his amber eyes flickered to the raven-haired teen, catching a glimpse of surprise and relief passing through his emerald green orbs.

"I take it everyone's doing well." It wasn't a question, rather a statement from Harry.

He grinned good-naturedly. "Everyone's fine. Just checked on Tsuna not that long ago. He and everyone else will be back up in no time!"

His expression softened a bit once he saw a quick flash of relief on Harry's face, before masking it with a grateful smile. His hand lay next to Harry's, brushing up against it softly, while he pressed his lips together into a smile. It was good to see Harry relax. A wave of guilt washed over him, recalling how quickly Tsuna, Bianchi, Gokudera, the kid and himself went off on their own without informing the others. And yet Harry's group followed after them despite the danger. If they hadn't arrived ... would they have really been alright as they were?

He didn't know. He was only thankful that their presence helped the others get back safely.

"Takeshi." Hearing his name called, his attention turned to Harry, only to be taken aback by the somber expression on the younger's face.

"There's something that I need to tell you and the others."

Takeshi's shoulders slumped. He was confused by what he said. "What do you mean?"

"It's important," Harry informed him seriously. His hands gripped the edges of the seat, staring ahead, avoiding him. "You all deserve to know. Everything."

The tone Harry used began to scare him. The swordsman stared at his friend worriedly.

"Harry, are you in some kind of trouble?" Of course, the teen figured that Harry was keeping secrets from the rest of the group, including Hana and Tsuna. Though as to what, the three were not exactly sure. Now, it seemed the emerald-eyed teen was coming clean with them. He gripped Harry's hand reassuringly.

"Or it something else?"

Harry glanced at him, perplexed for several moments. His eyes widened for a moment before letting out a small, bemused snort.

"It's nothing bad, Takeshi," the teen reassured him with a smile on his face. "It's just ... _different. _That's all."

"_Different_?" Takeshi frowned further. He didn't understand what Harry was trying to say.

"Listen, just ... be there. Okay?" Harry let out a sigh, looking at him.

He remained silent for a few moments, wondering what exactly Harry desired to them, but Takeshi shook his head and smiled. "I'll be there, don't worry about that!"

For the moment he wasn't going to pry into Harry's secrets, choosing to wait alongside the rest of them. After all it wouldn't be fair if one of them already knew it!

* * *

><p>"It seems those two are getting along rather well," Gamma commented, smirking as he leaned against the wall. His eyes lingered on the two teens at the far end of the hallway, oblivious to his staring. He turned lazily to the doctor. Shamal gave him an unreadable look, glancing quickly down the hall before snorting.<p>

"Those two? Not surprising. Yamamoto is usually the one who tries to help the Decimo to keep the rest of the group together." The doctor wasn't blind or ignorant to have not noticed how close the two were as of late. They were teenage boys after all. His focus drifted to the file resting in his hands, going over the information.

"It seems the little rag-tag team is going to be fine, especially with the civilian hostages discovered."

The blond frowned. "Civilian hostages?"

"The ones Reborn informed us about." Shamal shot him an irritable stare. "I knew you were blond but I didn't think that you were _that_ blond."

Before Gamma could make a snappy retort, the brunet continued. "The faculty member, despite the many injures she sustained, will be just fine. The principal is shaken up from having taken more mental trauma from Mukuro's illusions opposed to downright physical abuse. And the kid ..." Shamal rubbed his temple.

"Poor kid was subjected to prolonged exposure to illusions and physical abuse by Mukuro and his two subordinates. Recovery's not going to be easy for the kid."

Gamma remained in somber silence, his head lowered. "Have you contacted his parents?"

"No. Not yet," Shamal answered bluntly and quickly. In a regular hospital, parents and relatives would be contacted first, especially if the person in question was a minor. However the circumstances revolving around this would make things ... less than pleasant. It was a very difficult decision, but keeping what transpired today a secret was more important. There was no need to involve anyone else, including civilian parents.

"We will, once we can deal with damage control. I doubt the three would want to forget everything."

"Or they desperately want to forget," Gamma countered grimly.

Nonetheless, the risk of their mental trauma could cause problems in the future. Though it was doubtful that the three could pose any threats, Shamal understood the dangers of being touched by Mukuro. The teen's abilities were not something to laugh at — the possibilities of possession were considerably low. Yet unlike Lanchia, the three did not possess the strength of mind to retain some sense of self.

Civilians were not as lucky. If worse came to worse, a planned assassination would be prepared to make their deaths appear as an accident. Otherwise, they'd end up under the tight custody of the Vongola until they were deemed fit to leave or were found useful.

The outcomes were cruel, but they were realistic and pragmatic. Shamal sincerely doubted that the Nono would ever inform the Decimo. There was a chance Reborn might inform the kid, unless he was ordered not to.

"Everyone's different. Some can take it, others can't. It's nothing new, and to think otherwise is stupid and hilariously naïve. Everyone handles their own shit differently," Shamal remarked, disinterestedly.

"The methods used to inflict pain speak for themselves anyway. The woman was strong mentally, which was why she was attacked physically. The principal? He was strong physically but weak mentally, and the kid? Either he was strong in both or weak in both." _Ten to one says the kid was strong in both areas. _That would make the most sense from what he managed to dig up on the kid, and being a doctor allowed him to gain access to files rather easily.

Gamma made a face. "Oh, joy."

"Never said it was pretty." The brunet gave a bemused snort at the blond's response. "Besides, shouldn't you be use to this by now?" A smirk appeared on his face, which gained him the death glare shot his way. Shamal barked out a laugh.

"Whatever," the other commented flatly. "Hmm, they'll at least be discharged by today — the Decimo and them, right?"

"Gokudera, Bianchi and, as you can see, Yamamoto are already up and about. I can't see them staying much longer, if Reborn has anything to say about it. I'm sure you already know how he can be sometimes." The two exchanged cynical smiles, knowing how sadistic and cruel the Sun Arcobaleno could be. His lack of consideration and hardass attitude was notorious in the mafia world; his brutal teaching methods spread like wildfire as many families sought Reborn to make their own Family stand as great as the Vongola. Of course, the Arcobaleno's services were strictly for the Vongola and allied Families.

His companion let out a grunt. "Trust me. I know all about Reborn."

"Yeah, you would. Wouldn't you?" The two found themselves in a deadlock stare, neither wanting to relent to the other.

"Takeshi!"

As if in unison, the two snapped their heads to the direction of the voice, landing on a tall male — Takeshi's father, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto. Shamal and the man had never interacted with one another beforehand. Though, it hadn't surprised the doctor to see the sushi chef here, all things considered.

"Yamamoto-san, your son is fine." Shamal decided to cut the pleasantries and get straight to the matter at hand. He had absolutely no patience when it came to parents. Well ... that wasn't entirely true, but being the target of frustration and panic was never fun and was often very stressful. The brunet didn't believe himself to be completely apathetic; rather his station as a doctor and assassin made it difficult to come off as compassionate and understanding. Seeing so much death in his life hardened his heart and his outlook on life. Nonetheless, he had a job to do.

"You can take my word for it." His arm gestured to the direction where the man's son sat along with the other teen. "He's right over there."

Tsuyoshi's eyes whirled to Takeshi before letting out a relieved sigh. His hand moved up, covering half of his face. His body relaxed almost instantly once he saw that his son was indeed in good condition. "Oh, thank god," the sushi chef remarked softly. "I was so worried."

"Oi ..." Gamma's stance changed, eyeing the man with recognition. "You ... you're —"

"Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, a sushi chef." The man quickly moved to introduce himself, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The smile in and of itself seemed forced, almost fake. It seemed the young Yamamoto learned how to fake a smile by learning from his father.

"And you are?" His words took on a rather steely edge, refusing to allow Gamma a way out of the conversation or to continue his questions.

Gamma was smart enough to catch onto the underlying words. "Gamma. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yamamoto." He inclined his head in greetings, keeping a stiff stance in turn.

"You two done now? Good," Shamal commented, sliding his hands into his coat pockets.

"Where's Reborn?" Tsuyoshi inquired, frowning as he looked around. "Usually he's around whenever Tsuna is involved."

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. Reborn can take care of himself, Yamamoto-san. I wouldn't worry about him."

"I'm not." Came the flippant reply from the chef, who frowned.

Shamal gave him a cynical stare. "Well aren't you the friendly one." Before the chef could even make a snappy retort, the brunet shook his head, pointing down the hall where the younger Yamamoto currently resided.

"Instead of making comments, why don't you go and spend time with your son instead, hmm?"

Tsuyoshi's jaw tightened at the claim. He nodded sharply before stalking off to where his son was, leaving the two men alone once again. They pondered what might come of today's events for the future.

* * *

><p>Two days had passed since then. Utterly exhausted, those who'd participated in the fighting took that time to recover from their respective battles. With a great deal of the Namimori students attacked, the school didn't question their absence. In fact barely any other students showed up to school in fear of getting attacked themselves. Of course, the school could not afford to remain closed indefinitely and at the revelation that the perpetrators had been detained, the doors reopened almost instantly.<p>

A handful of students returned at once, while several others remained at home and still others remained hospitalized. Those who were not hospitalized were expected to show up for a mandatory assembly. Namimori wasn't an entirely huge school compared to that of Hogwarts. While Mukuro's group attacked many students, it made sense that some students would not return or others would stay behind to look after their siblings.

Oddly enough, Kyoko ended up returning to school without Ryohei. Though, judging by her cheerful smile, it seemed everything was well in the Sasagawa household, much to Harry's relief. He had a feeling that Hana's presence also helped with the girl's mood.

However, it struck him as odd that no one seemed notice the bruises Tsuna, Takeshi and Gokudera sustained. They were being passed over by students and faculty alike. The last two were sought out by the majority of the female population — the two were relatively oblivious to their affections. Nonetheless they rejected their comings on in their own way. As Harry thought about it in silence, it made sense that the rest of the students who had close ties to people attacked were still affected by the recent events. It would take a bit of time before normalcy returned to Namimori. Or as close to normal one could get.

He never knew with Reborn around.

Harry glanced to the side, catching Tsuna's brunet ones. He was sitting between Gokudera and Yamamoto. The stare between them lingered for several moments and they slowly smiled to one another before breaking contact. He knew exactly what the stare was about. In fact Harry spent the past two days thinking over and trying to come up with something to say, an excuse to give, anything at all! Only ... his secret was out now. And it seemed Tsuna's secret had begun to surface, too. All in all it didn't seem right to conceal his magic any longer. Perhaps it was merely his moral code that prevented him from doing so, but at least they'd be truthful with one another ... and everyone else in the group.

Unfortunately, it led to an even bigger problem: the Statute of Secrecy. Harry didn't know the laws concerning it in Japan and he still didn't know much about the ring he received from the mysterious Owner. Harry didn't receive a letter of complaint, just as the man said. Yet, the teen couldn't put his worries to rest. His body rang with anxiety; regardless of how long Harry knew Tsuna and the others, it didn't make it any easier to tell them the truth. As Harry knew from experience, not everyone would be as open-minded to the reality of magic existing. His relatives were proof of that.

People feared what they did not understand. With fear came envy and envy eventually turned to hatred. It was an endless and inescapable cycle.

The rest of the day passed by almost in the blink of an eye. After everything that happened, it wasn't that surprising. There seemed to be a different atmosphere that hung in the classroom, almost like a proverbial elephant in the room. Yet everyone continued on as if nothing was wrong. It was probably for the best.

"Harry." Hearing his name, his attention drifted Tsuna. He had a nervous smile, with the others standing not that far behind him.

"Do you want to come over to my place? Everyone else is coming, too," Tsuna commented, the nervousness in his smile was in his tone as well. The brunet didn't want to pressure him, yet at the same time the two had avoided it long enough.

Harry was fairly certain Reborn was using some method to threaten Tsuna. Not that he could personally blame his friend; the other knew exactly how to be frightening and push the right buttons.

Harry nodded, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Yeah, let's go."

The teen promptly ignored that Haru had once again infiltrated Namimori by wearing the trademark school uniform, without anyone even batting an eye. She always appeared during the school hours, usually to hang around with Tsuna and the others. The student body had gotten used to her. Approaching to join the group, tensions seemed to build around them. Though it went unnoticed by the rest of the group, barring Tsuna and Harry.

The two alone knew the reason for the tension, but they kept silent as they made their way to the brunet's house.

Once they arrived at Tsuna's house, Bianchi greeted them. She appeared far better than the last time Harry met her. Reborn was also present, giving a smirk. He had an inkling that today's proceedings were going to be spectacular, much to the wizard's chagrin.

Yet he knew full well that Reborn had something up his sleeve. Cautiously, he followed everyone inside, keeping an eye around the room as he calmly walked beside Takeshi and Bianchi. He saw Lambo and Ipin eating the snacks on the table with Lanchia, who attempted to settle them down. MM was looking on in amusement. He couldn't deny the relief he felt at seeing her again. She appeared livelier and tidied after the previous events.

There were a few more familiar faces such as Shamal and Gamma. And Kikyo was also present; at first Harry found it odd before remembering that the man was currently living with Tsuna and the others after the incident over the summer. He felt a bit guilty for not remembering that, despite everything on his mind. Another face was also among the group — one that he didn't particularly recognize. He was a teenager who was a bit older than Tsuna and the rest of them. He kept near the wall, looking rather disinterested with a black coat draped across his shoulders.

Ryohei was present as well. The wizard assumed it was because the boxer was discharged from the hospital and was recovering at home. Harry wondered if his parents decided to keep him home until all of his bandages were off, given Ryohei's ... eccentricities.

"Mama has gone out for a bit, so we don't have to worry about her listening in," Reborn piped up, jumping down onto his own personal cushion.

Harry nodded. "That's ... good?"

"We want to make sure Mama is protected. The less she knows, the better," he replied instantly, a genuine look of concern passed over Reborn's face before switching to bemusement. Harry's line of sight returned to the mysterious teen.

"That's just Hibari, the head of the Discipline Committee."

"Hnnn," the teen, Hibari, grunted in acknowledgement. "The baby asked for my presence."

_Well aren't you a friendly one,_ was the first thoughts that crossed his mind. He nodded his head.

"Right."

Harry took a seat in front of the table and was quickly joined by Takeshi, Tsuna and Gokudera. He had absolutely no idea where to start, and he wasn't best person to explain things since Harry usually left that to Hermione. However it seemed he had to step up to the plate. "So um ... where to start?"

"I-I um ... think I should start," Tsuna commented almost quietly, shuffling in an awkward fashion. He ended up receiving many incredulous and impressed stares from the rest of the group. His eyes glanced to the girls and Ryohei. "Y-you four deserve to know, too, but ... Haru knows a bit more than you three."

The girl nodded, hesitantly. "I-It was the first time I met Reborn. Though I didn't think about it much after we became friends."

"What are you two talking about?" Hana sounded a bit annoyed, her eyes narrowing at the two.

"Dame-Tsuna, you should just cut to the chase instead of beating around the bush. Not that you can help it," Reborn commented with a smirk on his face, seeing his student's distress. "Let me put it out in the open. Tsuna is the next in line for the Vongola Family."

Harry's eyes narrowed, recalling how that name was brought up before when they were in Italy. The way Reborn conveyed his words made it sound like it was more than a mere _company_. Nonetheless he kept silent and carefully glanced around the room, seeing the same confused expression on Ryohei and Kyoko, while Hana looked interested and cautious.

"The Vongola Family has been around since the 1850s, created by Tsuna's ancestor Giotto. As the years passed, it grew into the strongest and most influential mafia family that this world has ever seen."

Needless to say, silence fell in the room. As shock appeared all over the Sasagawa siblings' faces, Hana remained stoic, staring at Reborn with an unreadable gleam in her eyes. The others didn't seem all that surprised. In fact they appeared to be more bored than anything else.

Harry, on the other hand, felt rather stunned by the words. A mafia family, in Japan? It sounded ridiculous. Yet the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The way those bastards kidnapped Tsuna back during the summer, and the way the grandfather's bodyguards acted spoke volumes of experience. Reborn's training regimes also seemed connected to it as well. The training expenses must have cost a fortune. That the tutor distributed weapons amongst the group was also a key indicator.

Harry frowned, folding his arms against his chest. It was a lot to take in; as Harry grew up in the muggle world, he knew what the mafia was and what they were capable of. His emerald eyes slid to Tsuna, whose face was etched with worry. He looked at the ground, fearing what the others thought about him. Of course, despite hearing all of this, it didn't change what he thought about his friend, as it would have made him a hypocrite anyway.

Being a Parseltongue, which was a trait linked to dark wizards. Many of the Hogwarts students came to label him as such due to his ability. However, simply because he had it didn't make him evil — just like how Tsuna being the heir to a mafia family didn't make him evil either.

"Tsuna," Harry began, gaining the attention of the brunet boy. His lips pressed together as he smiled at his friend. "It's okay."

Tsuna seemed surprised to hear those words. He stared openly at Harry before a relieved smile appeared on his face. "Harry ..."

"Honestly, Tsuna." Hana looked, if possible, even more bored as she used her elbow to keep her head up and talked in a deadpanned tone.

"Were you really expecting us to freak out like that? You really don't know us all that well, do you?" Shaking her head, the girl leaned back and laid her hands on the table. "We're not going to abandon you over something like this."

"H-Hana!" The brunet almost sniffed, shoulders slumping in relief as he gripped his shirt.

"Tsuna-kun," Kyoko spoke up a gentle smile on her face. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Ryohei slammed his hands onto the table. "That's right, Sawada! You're an EXTREME FRIEND!"

"Kyoko ... Big brother ..." Tsuna began as Takeshi and Gokudera both placed a hand on the brunet's shoulders, causing his smile to grow.

"But ... why are the rest of you so calm about this?" Haru inquired, looking around the room and voicing what Harry could not gather the courage to ask.

Gokudera grunted, folding his arms and glancing away. "I was born in a mafia family."

"As were Lambo, Shamal and Gamma," Reborn remarked sagely. "Ipin was a part of the Chinese Triad but was trained by a friend of mine, Fon."

Harry couldn't help but frown once hearing that. So was there another one like Reborn running about? He recalled meeting the one who carried a purple pacifier during the summer. The name escaped him and Harry couldn't remember exchanging names at all. In fact it made the wizard wonder just how many people were like Reborn?

"I ... Well ..." Kikyo murmured slightly in his chair. "My boss had connections to the mafia. I was ordered to keep my head down for the most part, same with the rest of the workers. So it doesn't really surprise me very much to hear this." His eyes flickered to Tsuna.

"But I think you're a good person, Tsuna-san. You and your mother took me in, after all. You both have large hearts —large enough to share with someone like me."

Tsuna's expression softened. "Kikyo-san ..."

"Now that we all have that out of the way, Tsuna and I witnessed something during the end of the battle against Mukuro around the time that the Vendice arrived. Something that I have never seen before," Reborn stated calmly, moving from one subject to the next without warning.

"Even with all my spies searching for information, all of them have come up with nothing. _That_ is the main reason why we are all here today. Only Harry can explain what happened."

And just like that, everyone's eyes landed on him. He kept his face stoic and controlled as he refused to show anyone his surprise. He mentally cringed at how Reborn had turned everything onto him. Harry suspected that this was how things were going to go. The teen didn't say anything immediately, waiting for the nervous air to vanish. From the corner of his eye he managed to spot Tsuna shooting him an encouraging smile. He pressed his lips together and gave the brunet a nod in return while gathering his confidence. Taking a few moments, Harry inhaled softly and exhaled becoming more comfortable.

"I'm not entirely sure where to begin," he confessed.

"The beginning is usually the best place to start," Lanchia offered kindly as he gave a small smile.

MM snorted and pinned him with an irritated stare. "Don't leave us hanging. I'm already bored as it is here!"

"Very eloquent of you," Bianchi commented. She sent a cold stare, only for the red haired girl to retaliate by sticking out her stuck, further angering the older woman.

"Now, now, ladies. Try to get along," Shamal attempted to intervene, making his way over to Bianchi. "Fighting won't —"

He was met with a punch to the face, knocking the man flat on his ass. The Italian woman cracked her knuckles, looking down with a cold expression. "Don't _lady_ me, Shamal," Bianchi hissed.

"Perverted doctor," Gokudera grunted angrily, his smirk held an edge of victory as he saw his sister deck the man.

"Um ..." Takeshi scratched the side of his cheek, grinning nervously and shooting glances to Harry. "I think Harry was about to say something. Shouldn't we all quiet down and let him talk?"

The teen felt torn between feeling grateful for Takeshi's meddling and wanting to sigh heavily. He should have known that this was entirely inevitable and it wouldn't have been fair. Harry pushed his glasses up, taking his time and thinking of where to start.

"Hmm ... well," the teen began, cautiously choosing his words as slowly as possible. "I guess what I'm about to tell you can be dated back to around the time before civilizations came to be."

That seemed like a good place to start since magic seemed to have always existed. The incredulous gazes he was met with had not surprised him; their confusion was with warranted.

"What do you mean, Harry?" Tsuna was the first to break the silence.

This was it. It was now or never. Gulping quietly, Harry elevated his hand with his wand in tow and slashed his wand sharply. At once, the table transformed into a lamp, standing tall and shining brightly and — the room fell into silence. Everyone's attention focused on the lamp, and no one dared to say a word. Shock and awe rippled through their faces, while only Reborn had an expression mixed between thoughtfulness and shock, having not expected such a feat.

Harry swallowed thickly as he pressed his lips together. "You see — the thing is ... I'm a wizard."

* * *

><p>Chapter 15 end.<p>

_Sirius Chronicles _

Sirius had absolutely no idea how he ended up in Sicily of all places. Nonetheless, the convict found himself enjoying the sun shining down on the island. After being locked away in Azkaban for so many years, Sirius learned to appreciate things he hadn't before. Sunny days were one of them.

The darkness that once surrounded him, ceased to be. They'd become nothing more than a horrid nightmare that long since passed. However, that didn't mean the effects from the prison were gone. No, the wizard continued to be plagued by the demons of that hellish place — malicious dreams that wouldn't leave him be. Sleeping at night only made them worse, leading Sirius to fall into insomnia. There were brief times when he managed to get a decent night's sleep. It wasn't much, but it was enough to restore the energy he lost in his from Azkaban. While not as young as he used to be, his muscles and body felt lighter and more relaxed than ever before. Since Sirius was now able to move around freely as opposed to being chained in a room, the more he moved, the more energy he regained.

Though when it came to food ... he made due with whatever came his way. Sirius wasn't about to make any complaints, especially since Harry constantly sent him food whenever he could. The foods were usually on the healthier side of things — something that Sirius was thankful for, despite his sugar tooth. However, the man was uncertain how his stomach would take to _eating_ normally again after all these years. It was better to start slow, gaining the nutrients his body needed before moving on sugary things, if he ever did that.

The letters he exchanged with his godson were deeply detailed; they informed him of everything that happened once the summer began. At first he was angry when he learned that the Dursleys left him in a foreign country. However, his anger subsided as he continued to read and learn about the new friends Harry made during his stay in Japan. They seemed to be a rather colorful bunch from what he managed to get out of it. He was relieved to hear that his godson wasn't alone and that he finally managed to experience some fun in his life.

And Harry's life had not been the easiest or the kindest. Admittedly, Sirius didn't know much about what his godson experienced other than the horrid living conditions he'd been forced to endure during his summers. That said, his opinion of the other Evans sister and anyone connected to that woman was very low indeed.

Perhaps, it was a godsend that Harry had been dumped in Japan — to meet the people who'd later become his close friends. It didn't stop Sirius from worrying about him and wondering if everything was alright over there. Even so, he believed in Harry.

The friends Harry made in Japan influenced his godson, and grew closer to him than the other two Sirius knew of: Ron and Hermione. The letters spoke volumes of the new group Harry hung out with. However, it didn't take long for Harry's writing to go from light hearted and happy to uncertain and doubtful. His godson was beginning to question whether or not to return to Hogwarts at the beginning of term.

Normally, those words would have made Sirius' heart stop, but they didn't. In fact he couldn't blame Harry for thinking that way from everything he managed to hear now and again. Lockheart had been horrible — the stuck up, dim-witted Ravenclaw teaching his godson? Not on his watch! Though that had been during Harry's second year ... nonetheless, Hogwarts seemed to have declined after Snape became a part of the staff. And McGonagall hadn't been exactly the best teacher of the year either from what he managed to hear.

The latter wasn't surprising, since she was far too busy being Dumbledore's second hand, rather than looking after her students properly. Even during his time at school, she'd been like that. The marauders had sought comfort and protection from one another instead of relying on the adults.

However, it seemed the only person Sirius could truly rely on was Harry. Lupin didn't bother to keep in contact with Harry or himself since his resignation from Hogwarts. The convict sincerely doubted that the lack of contact was unintentional. It wasn't surprising since his _dear old friend_ didn't even try to check up on Harry. Instead he was avoiding him at every turn until Harry confronted him! As far as Sirius was concerned, Lupin had betrayed the Marauders almost as much as Wormtail had.

His train of thought came to a halt when he felt the earth beneath him start to shake violently. Struggling to keep his balance, his hand reached out to grab the nearest tree. The air around him instantly heated up as a low rumbling quickly captured his attention. He saw chucks of rock tumble down from a mountain, lava breaching the surface and flowing straight to the nearest village.

Sirius wrinkled his nose at the smell of sulphur billowing around him. His free hand moved to his face to cover both his nose and mouth as he continued to hold onto the tree. He was lucky that his spot remained untouched as his eyes noted that the lava was flowing down in a single direction.

The lava descending to the village was the real cause for concern!

Gripping the wand he managed to get his hands on, Sirius curled his wrists and pointed it at the stream of lava. His eyes snapped around wildly, trying to find a point in the steam before landing on its source.

"_Cessare!_" His wand shot a grey-coloured spell towards the lava. Once making contact, the molten, reddish color greyed over and froze in place. Sirius waited several moments before approaching the lava. He understood that despite the village being far away, the man would rather play it safe than take any chances. Kneeling down, he tapped his wand on the frozen lava. "_Evanesco!"_

In a magnificent flourish, the lava vanished from sight, leaving not a trace. The second spell he used was a relatively easy to spell to use; it was the first one that was fairly difficult. He'd been forced to use a large amount of his magical energy to halt all that lava. Frankly, Sirius was exhausted.

As he leaned against a tree for support, he heard a gasp behind him.

Sirius sharply turned to face the source of the sound, his arm snapping up to point at a young man with the darkest shade of red hair he'd ever seen. The stranger wore a white-tank top with baggy, tattered pants and he had stubble at the edges of his face. His mouth gaped open in complete disbelief.

There was only one logical thing Sirius could do, and he cursed his luck.

* * *

><p>Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you all liked this present for Famiglia! Sorry for the long wait, but I sure hope it was worth it. Both my beta, the awesome Tetracyts, and myself have been awfully busy, but we are still working on this fic. So don't turn away!<p>

There has been some confusion with the transition between chapters 12 and 13. Please know it was intentional. It's a scene that will be brought up in the future.

Chapter 16 is currently under editing and 17 is under works.

Until next time, enjoy the holidays and have a happy new year!


	16. Truth

Chapter 16: Truth

Silence — complete and utter silence filled the room with gaping expressions, bewildered shock and confusion all around. No one seemed able to say anything, which was understandable since Harry had been the same way up to his discovery of the magical world. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he was taking the silence well. His expression remained vacant to hide his anxiety while questions whirled through his mind. What were they thinking? Would they be okay with the existence of magic? How would they treat him from here on out?

Worry and fear began to build — the turmoil of his new friends rejecting him due to his magic was far too much for him to handle. Being turned away by those he considered friends was the worst feeling in the world.

His hands curled below, gripping his pants. He focused on the others, observing their still slack jawed expressions.

"W-what do you exactly mean by _wizard_?" Tsuna was the first to speak. He was hesitant even as he tried to understand what exactly Harry meant. "A-and how did you turn the table into a lamp?"

It was now or never. Everyone in the room managed to compose themselves, snapping their attention to him once again. Thankfully for Harry, none of them appeared shocked anymore. Instead they looked more curious than ever; even so it relieved the previous anxiety he felt. The wizard paused, inhaling and exhaling sharply, and scanned over the crowd.

He eyed them all critically. "Before I start, I want all of you to understand the seriousness of what I'm about to reveal — there are people who won't take too kindly to what I'm about to tell you. Your memories might get modified to the point where you would forget me and possibly each other." Their horrified looks made him flinch. Harry hated it, but informing them now would prepare them for the future. He swallowed quietly as he held a nervous gaze.

"That's one of the minor consequences for you all. You could even be monitored for the rest of your lives or even thrown in Azkaban. It's a prison; basically hell on earth." _Literally_. Given what Harry heard about the place, it seemed almost a physical manifestation of hell. "Do you all still want to know?"

Fear swelled in the air as he observed their frightened expressions. It couldn't be helped, but they deserved to know what came with his secret. It didn't make telling them any easier. Harry refused to allow himself to break before them, keeping a stoic face to conceal his own fears of being rejected by the people he had come to call his friends.

Hana slammed her hand onto the table, grabbing the attention of the entire room. "We're already too far into this. I doubt anything that you can say will make us turn away." Her eyes peered at him. Underlying the harsh tone she used, he could sense her trust in him.

"K-Kurokawa's r-right," Tsuna spoke up, timidly. He gave a shaky smile that began to soften with confidence. "It won't matter to us."

"TRUST IN US TO THE EXTREME!"

Takeshi grinned. "Even if our memories are taken, we'll just get them back!"

"Hmph," Gokudera snarled, turning his head away. "Like I'd let our memories be taken."

Haru nodded sharply. "We won't let that happen!" She grinned. "Don't worry about us, Harry. We can protect ourselves!"

Kyoko nodded, beaming at her friends. Her eyes glowed gently as she glanced to him. "You can believe in us and our strength. We won't let anything happen," she reassured him in a confident and firm tone.

How was he supposed to respond? They were oozing with honesty, believing in each other; Harry almost felt winded but after being around them for so long, he truly felt they were telling the truth. None of them would end up losing their memories or being held captive by the ministry, but he wondered silently to himself. What were the differences between the British and Japanese laws in regards to magic? Would the consequences be the same or were there differences?

He would dedicate some time to find out once he located the entrance to the Japanese magical side.

"I don't really know much, but I do know the basics of our history. You see, people like myself have the ability to bend the laws of nature to our will. The power we have is called magic. It's existed since the dawn of time, though has remained largely hidden from the rest of the world. I know that the higher ups in the government are aware of the existence of magic as well as the communities that exist," Harry began, hurriedly. Briefly he wondered if he was going too fast with his explanation. Yet he'd rather get straight to the point, opposed to dancing around the subject.

"We channel our magic through our wands, which we use for casting." _That sounded a lot better in my head_, he mused to himself. But what else could he talk about now? Obviously there was still more to say the question was what though? "Erm, as far as I know every country has their own magical community."

Takeshi spoke up next. "So there's one in Japan, too?"

"That makes you an UMA, doesn't it?" Gokudera pointed at him, an eager grin on his face.

_The hell?_ Harry was glad to know that he wasn't the only one staring at the half-Italian teen incredulously. Bianchi pinned him with a glare, causing Gokudera to fall right over to clutch his stomach and give a sharp cry that echoed through the room. Never before had Harry felt so thankful for the teen's inability to look at his own sister. "Yes. Japan has their own magical community, too."

"If that's true," Haru piped up, "Why didn't you go and try to get help from them?"

The teen looked down. "I ... couldn't find the entrance to the magic side of Japan."

"Where exactly is the entrance to Britain's magical side?" Hana questioned, gaining his attention. She shot him and irritable stare. "Well? Where is it?"

Why was she asking a question like that? Back in Britain the only way to get to the magical side was by going through the Leaky Cauldron in ... his line of thought trailed off as he covered his face with his hand. A heavy groan escaped his lips. "It's in London." Harry wanted to slam his head on the table for being so utterly stupid!

Hana smirked, dryly. "Understand what you did wrong?"

"... Yes." Better to swallow his pride and admit it now while he still had the chance. His hand ran through his dark locks as he sighed in a quiet manner.

"I thought Namimori would have some doorway to access the Japanese magical side, but since it isn't the capital of the country, the method I used to locate it didn't work. Because there was no doorway in this city my attempts of finding it were useless," Harry answered, in a rather frustrated tone. He was appalled by his own idiocy for not realizing earlier; the distance between their current location and Tokyo was rather large.

"So there's an entire community of magical folk all over the world," Reborn mused, onyx eyes gleaming with an unreadable emotion. "Just what else do these civilizations entail?"

Harry's brows knit together. "I've never been outside of magical Britain but basically what this side has. Only with magic, I mean. We have sports like Quidditch: similar to football, ours not the Americans, and basketball in the air, involving broomsticks —"

"You ride actual broomsticks?" Haru exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table and jumping out of her seat. Her brown eyes sparkled upon hearing those words.

"Do you also use cauldrons for casting spells and making potions? Do witches have warts? What about animals? Do you have costumes and plays over there — what about theatre? You have to have some sort of theatre! What about books on myths and fairy tales!" She continued on a bit of an excited ramble, words slurring together as she continued to spew out question after question at an incredibly fast rate.

"Slow down with all the questions, will ya?" Hana sent her friend a stricken look. Haru's face slowly turned a bright shade of red as she sat down sheepishly. "Well?" The girl quickly turned her attention towards Harry, pinning him with a flat stare.

The wizard stared back before understanding. "Yes, cauldrons are for potions so that's true. The wart question is a definite no, and yes we have different animals in the magical world. Costumes, players and theatre I really don't know, and we probably do have some books on fantasy somewhere in the libraries and book stores," Harry answered in complete order. The questions she asked started making him rather aware of how little he truly knew. He never went looking for more information about the world he lived in for the past several years, mainly focusing on staying alive and homework rather than actual magical culture.

"To be honest with all of you, there's still a lot that I don't really know about magic and the magical community. I've only known about it for four years, as I've grown up completely non-magical. I didn't even know magic existed until I was eleven!"

"You didn't know?" Takeshi's eyebrows furrowed together. "How does that work?"

"Aren't you born with your magic?" Kyoko inquired politely as she tilted her head slightly. Curiosity gleamed within her eyes.

Shamal didn't seem all that interested, leaning back against the couch and waving his hand dismissively. "It's probably like puberty, coming into their abilities like teens growing into their hormones and all that." The brunet turned, flashing a rather lazy smile to Harry. "Ain't that right, kid?"

"That's ... almost spot on actually. We come into our magic at rather young age but with barely any control. Since our magic is connected to our emotions, there are cases of accidental magic when we're younger. While as we grow older, we develop better control over our magic — while we continue to grow in strength." His explanation sounded rather awkward to him. Nevertheless, Harry went on. "When we reach the age of eleven our magic is stable enough to learn how to utilize it and then we're shipped off to Hogwarts —"

"Hogwarts?" Gokudera remarked, snorting. "What kind of a name is that?"

Tsuna's eyes twitched. "It sounds like a type of sandwich!"

"Really?" Kyoko frowned, humming. "It reminds me of a fish to be honest."

"Can we get back on subject, please? All this talk about food is really starting to make me hungry," Hana quipped flatly, pinning her trademark stare at the other three. Kyoko and Tsuna wore sheepish looks as Gokudera scoffed but complied nonetheless.

"So, what is your school like anyway?" Her interest in the subject slightly increased.

"Hogwarts, well, it's a giant castle for starters. It's been around for over a thousand years, having been started by four of the greatest witches and wizards in England — besides Merlin, of course." Harry was met with incredulous and surprised looks, had the legend of King Arthur and Merlin really reached the Asian countries? "At Hogwarts each of us is sorted into one of four houses, dormitories, which are named after the founders: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house comes with its own trait, house animal and colors —"

Bianchi frowned, thin disapproval marring her features. The woman shook her hand, sighing. "Why would anyone think it's a good idea to separate children at young ages? It's just going to lead to trouble."

"Competition?" Takeshi supplied, sheepishly only to shrink apologetically upon the stern stare from the woman.

Hibari's eyes narrowed, turning towards Harry. "Herbivore."

The wizard's emerald eyes flickered towards him. _Herbivore? _"Erm ... yes?" _That _had been a new one. At least it was better than Draco Malfoy's _scar face!_

"Keep your magic under control or I will bite you to death!" The prefect revealed two tonfas from behind his coat, holding them up in a very menacing manner. His dark eyes reflected coldly at him.

"... I'll do my best to make sure of that," Harry replied. His expression remained still, while inwardly he was baffled by the suddenness of his statement as well as the weapons the other teen had pulled out on him. Somehow, the wizard sincerely doubted that Reborn had anything to do with them. The others seemed nonplussed by Hibari's comment, rather resigned if anything else. "Erm, do any of you have any more questions?" What else was he supposed to say?

Ryohei frowned. "So there aren't any boxing clubs at this Hogwarts?"

Harry blinked at the question. "No."

"Then I must go there and create a boxing club! I'll teach them boxing TO THE EXTREME!" The albino boxer stood up fiercely as he tipped over the table, throwing his fists into the air and yelling loudly. Hana leaned over, whacking him upside his head. The teen let out a bit of a cry, rubbing the sore spot while pouting at her. She gave a smug look as Ryohei sat back down after fixing the table. As a round of chuckles went around the room, bright smiles, and cheerful expressions lightened up the room.

That little outburst brought a smile to the wizard's face; he chuckled quietly at the image of Ryohei attempting to start a boxing club at Hogwarts. Needless to say, the chances of that succeeding were slim to none, due to the antagonistic Purebloods. Even so, he smirked as his thoughts drifted to Malfoy getting thrashed by Hermione — he remembered how she punched that spoiled brat near the end of third year. It was a pleasant memory he planned on cherishing for his entire life, though he knew Hermione could learn a thing or two from the boxer. Nonetheless he didn't doubt that if she did train under Ryohei, Hermione would become a fierce fighting machine.

That said, if Ron and Hermione ever met his friends here, he had a feeling Ron would end up getting along with the boxer instead, with Hermione attaching herself to the rest of the girls, Hana in particular.

"All of this explains why there are hardly any records of you anywhere," Bianchi murmured, eyes in deep concentration as they flickered to him. "When Reborn and I went to find records to register you, there were hardly any except in your elementary school archives before you vanished." Her eyes stilled upon him.

"Really?" Harry blinked rapidly at that little revelation. Since the muggle world and the magical world were separate, the fact his birth hadn't been recorded in the muggle archives did make a lot of sense. The question that remained was whether it would lead to further problems down the road. Without a normal birth certificate, things could become complicated. "That's ... good to know." His voice strained a bit, not knowing what else to say.

"So what now?" MM slurred, lazily leaning against the side of the chair with a bored expression. "Not much we can do right?"

"Tokyo isn't that far from Namimori. We could take the bus to get there, though finding this 'entrance' is going to be difficult. It's a prefecture so there are a lot of districts, we'd have to check them all out one by one," Hana murmured, eyes narrowing. "Our best bet might be the entertainment or business districts."

Tsuna frowned. "It's going to take awhile to get there ... we might have to wait until tomorrow, or even the weekend!"

"I can skip practice tomorrow," Takeshi commented with a grin on his face. "The team will be fine without me for at least a day!"

Gokudera snorted, angrily. "Oh please, they're doomed to failure with or without your help, baseball brain!"

"That's not every nice, Gokudera!" The baseball player frowned at the remark.

"I'll definitely come TO THE EXTREME!"

Hana rolled her eyes, shooting him a dry look. "Of course, you're coming." Not giving Ryohei a chance to respond, her attention went over to the rest of the girls. "You all realize we're going to have to go and make sure they don't go off somewhere and end up doing stupid things."

"It will be fun to explore Tokyo!" Kyoko giggled, clapping her hands together ignoring her friend's rude statement. "There might be some sweets they have that we don't!"

Haru nodded vigorously. "Maybe even some cute costumes there, too!"

"I don't have any interest in that," MM sneered shaking her head. "... But I'll come along anyway."

"I might find a good cook book filled with new recipes for my poison cooking!" Bianchi whispered under her breath and smiled widely at the prospect of expanding her technique. "Mama would love to try cooking new things as well!"

"I-I'm not sure that it's a good idea to tell mom!" Tsuna protested, stuttering, his face reddened at his own words. "I-I mean ..." The brunet swallowed, a wave of confidence seemed to wash over him as he fell into a comfortable stance and his tone took a firm turn.

"This isn't our secret. It's Harry's. None of us are going to go around and spit it out, and we're going to keep it amongst ourselves." His brown eyes slowly gazed over the inhabitants of the room in a stern manner. Unfortunately, that didn't last too long as his face grew red again upon realizing the bold words that came from him. "Hiiie!" His hands flew up, covering his mouth as he became thoroughly embarrassed.

Reborn smirked devilishly with approval. "Nicely said, dame-Tsuna."

"Of course, none of us are going to go out spewing it out. Besides who would even believe us?" MM inquired dryly, waving her hand for dramatic effect. She pinned the brunet with a pointed stare as she got her words across.

Kikyo gave a tiny smile. "She has a point there, Tsuna-san."

"Finally." Hana almost threw up her hands in exasperation. "You're developing a backbone!"

"Juudaime's always had a backbone, you've just never been around to see it is all, woman!" Gokudera snapped, obediently defending Tsuna without missing a beat. He snarled lowly alongside an open and fierce glare.

Once again, like always, the room erupted into a fit of arguments, fighting, laughter, tears and cheerful smiles. Everyone was having fun watching Hana and Gokudera going at one another mercilessly. Even so, those in the room knew it was simply all in good fun. Moments like these always felt as if they were bound to last forever.

A tingle of excitement ran through Harry's bones. Yet he could not understand as to the reason since that very thought seemed to drift away, having quickly immersed himself in the chaos erupting around him. All the fears that once plagued him, all the anxiety that had been built by fear and worry had all but vanished. They all accepted him, his magic, everything without judgement or scorn.

They sat and listened to him regardless of his stumbling through his explanations. Even so in his mind it was a step forwards, feeling he had become stronger as well as closer to his new friends. Admittedly, he felt guilty knowing that there were certain things Harry had yet to reveal to them.

Eventually they would come to light. By that time the teen sincerely hoped he'd have the courage to tell all of them himself.

Until that day arrived Harry would trust in his friends, without any regret.

* * *

><p>Changes occurred throughout Namimori Middle — the hallways were riddled quietly with obscure rumors flying from one student to the next, each reaction from the students varied. Some were surprised, others were shocked, and unsurprisingly a large consensus of the student body had expressed delight upon the discovery that the infamous teacher who plagued Namimori was no longer a teacher. Nezu Dotachiro, a vile man who mercilessly bullied students that didn't do well, preaching elitism as well as a strong and eerie emphasis on tests, had not just been fired. Nezu's lack of credentials came to light — he was a complete fraud. Those same "credentials" were then pulled with an additional blacklisting of the man's future in education. The former teacher was disgraced in the simplest, most direct and utterly humiliating way possible!<p>

Ever since the mandatory science test that was circulated throughout the middle schools, their former teacher, in a disgusting manner, accused several notable students of cheating. The accused had stood up against him, calling him into question, which eventually led to a re-take in a show of faith.

Nezu agreed to the re-test on the condition that if the students failed, they'd be expelled on the spot. Each of them reluctantly allowed the condition to be the penalty of failure, taking the re-test the next day early in the morning and spending two hours writing before handing them in.

Nearing the end, the school erupted in frustrated screams, grabbing everyone's attention. The halls flooded completely outside of the teacher's door. Everyone listened in on the dubious noises that came from Nezu as he began to splutter incoherently through the doors, pointing wildly and becoming more, and more frustrated with each word. His face reddened as his voice got louder, higher and wilder; he looked completely idiotic, even disturbed to a few. The scene played out intensely, and no one could look away.

The principal swiftly cut into the vehement argument from Nezu, chiding him sharply and instantly shutting the teacher's mouth, much to the accused student's relief. It continued to astonish the student body that Dame-Tsuna managed to pass the notorious teacher's exams.

Ever since the brunet started hanging out with the resident Italian foreigner, everyone slowly noticed him going from the bottom of the class to a somewhat average scoring student. Though some speculated that the recent friendship between the newest foreigner, Potter, and the resident Ice Queen, Kurokawa, played a larger part in the more noticeable changes in the formerly 'No-Good' teen. How long had that lasted? Many of them doubted it would change back at all.

Tsuna's outburst against Nezu's accusations was the trigger that sent the school's mental alarms ringing. While his timidity remained, he now walked with a shadow of boldness in his awkward skittishness. Nonetheless, the change was there. Only no one had paid much attention until now.

Another challenge was presented to Tsuna and his friends after the test: finding the time capsule that had been buried by students who attended Namimori several decades ago. From the many whispers circulating the hallways, Nezu gave them the task of finding a capsule that had been long since lost, even from the staff! In the end, that was his downfall.

Tsuna's unnatural luck had kicked in at the last moment as he stumbled upon on the time capsule, where they had unwittingly dug up a tattered old box. It belonged to one Dotachiro Nezu.

What lay within were failed tests scores, horrendous papers, and an embarrassing report card. Effectively it ruined any and all credibility Nezu had. A vicious turn of karma led to the exposure of every lie he'd made by a mysterious Professor known as Rebornyama. As a trusted person of the principal, he appealed for Nezu's immediate dismissal.

It was rather slow for the rest of the Namimori students to understand but even they started to realize that things were changing in their school. Time would soon reveal whether it would be for better or for worse.

* * *

><p>The trip from Namimori to Tokyo's business district took little under an hour's time. Reborn had made several personal calls allowing them access to a Vongola-made vehicle commissioned as an everyday school bus. Now Harry didn't exactly know if this was the social norm for Japan, but given the non-infant's tendencies to be rather over the top he knew better.<p>

Surprisingly, the only ones going were their little group minus the adults. This was shocking since he knew how much Bianchi wanted to join them and explore the magical part of Japan; though the wizard didn't find it all that odd that Kikyo had opted out to look after Ipin and Lambo. The children were rather known for getting into trouble when no one was looking, and they had whined when they couldn't go until Tsuna broke down and promised them both each a present when they returned.

Once that was said, the two children beamed happily at the prospect before running off to play upstairs, Kikyo running not too far behind them. Bianchi did stay to give Nana some company and to aid to their new house resident.

The newest additions to their group were MM, Gamma and Lanchia. The three joined their little group willingly, though MM and Lanchia were currently under Tsuna's custody since their defeat at his hands. However, the older male didn't seem to have any problems with that since he and Tsuna got along famously. MM, on the other hand, had her nose turned up in the air, given her snobbish attitude towards nearly all of them. This oddly connected her most with Hana and even weirder, Haru, of all people.

Harry wisely made the decision to keep his mouth shut, content with the budding friendships between the girls. Unfortunately the male spectrum seemed to be the opposite, given Gokudera's attitude to the newcomers. A part of him was irritated by the teen's growling toward the three, though admittedly Harry knew it wasn't his place to remark due to his lack of knowledge of the events before meeting Lanchia and MM.

He didn't know the circumstances involving the fight between those two back in Kokuyo Land. None of the others revealed anything other than beyond the basics, which surrounded the occurrences and the mastermind behind everything: Mukuro Rokudo. Everything else was sealed away, forgotten like an old memory. Harry understood completely where they were coming from. The majority of his own adventures back at Hogwarts had been kept between Hermione, Ron, Professor Dumbledore and him, and away from the rest of the staff and student body. Mostly because they didn't need to know.

"So this is Tokyo's business district. I've never been here before. It's so big!" Takeshi chirped happily as he looked around, awed by the crowds of suits and pedestrians that walked past them. A grin split across his face like that of an excited child.

Gokudera glared at him. "You idiot. We're not here to have fun!"

"Says you," MM interjected flatly, wearing a blank stare. "I'm here to look at _magical _fashions. Hopefully they'll have something that suits my sense of style. But from what I've seen _him _wear?" She directed her thumb towards his general direction, making a face. "There better be something, or else I'll have to show them a thing or two about clothes!" A smirk soon replaced her previous blank look, filled with mischief and excitement.

Harry slightly arched an eyebrow, expressing his own dryness. "Excuse me?"

"It's not your fault." She placed both hands on his shoulders. "You're a guy. It's in your nature to be completely nonsensical when it comes to color, but don't worry, we girls will lend you a hand. Leave everything to us!"

A chill ran up his spine, making him shudder at the very thought of letting the girls handle his appearance. Images of Parvarti and Lavender's chats back in the Gryffindor dorm instantly appeared in his mind, something that Harry personally wanted no part in.

"Thanks," the wizard began, polite though rather forced. "But no thanks."

MM shook her head, rolling her eyes in tandem. "Ah, just as I thought; you're hopeless like all the other guys."

"Nah, I think he's one of the salvageable ones for the most part," Hana disagreed, smirking sarcastically. "In some areas anyway!"

The girls burst into a fit of giggles, which had gone politely ignored by the boys as each of them rolled their eyes or in Gokudera's case looked away, growling underneath his breath. It was a rather normal reaction for the most part, and so they continued to talk together in a small group. They looked at the various buildings that came into view, indulging in idle chatter, discussing things that could be accomplished today. Conversations dabbled in what they would even see in the new world they were about to enter.

They seemed to grow happier and more energetic as the minutes passed by. They couldn't help but wonder what might lie on the other side!

Harry couldn't disagree with any of them as he recalled his own first steps into the wizarding world, how marvelous and mysterious everything had been. He was captivated by everything once he passed through Diagon Alley all those years ago.

That had been one of the fondest memories he kept. It was a day Harry would never forget: seeing magic in the air and many of his fellow witches and wizards gathered all in one place. Stopping at all the shops that came into view and gathering everything he needed for his first year at Hogwarts, at the end of the day he was exhausted. The constant stops and people who approached him had been overwhelming before he became accustomed to it.

He soon frowned. Harry knew the first thing he had to do was somehow get a meeting with the Japanese Ministry of Magic. He sincerely doubted it would go over that well, considering he was a foreigner and the minister had more important problems on his hands. From the information Harry and Hermione managed to gather from the school libraries, Voldemort's influence spread across Europe instead of across Britain. Whether that information was accurate, he didn't know. Though it seemed doubtful that Riddle would bother reaching beyond the country before he took it over.

Then again common sense was not something most witches and wizards had. Voldemort certainly fit the bill alright — edging between insane and deranged.

Gamma grunted. "Where exactly is the entrance anyway? It feels like we've been walking around forever." He slid his hands into his pockets, scowling irritably. "How hard can it be to find it?" He inquired flatly.

"Back in England the entrance to the magic side was through a pub called the Leaky Cauldron, but it was concealed with a spell that kept non-magical people away," Harry answered him instantly, emerald eyes flying up at the blond. "There's a chance it will be similar, that there's an enchantment hiding the entrance somewhere nearby." With his wand concealed beneath his sleeve, he watched it spin around and point in the direction they needed to go. He sighed. "It shouldn't take us much longer getting there."

At least he hoped so; with the way his wand was reacting to the magic that surrounded the area, he was getting worried there was interference.

Coming down to Tokyo had been a rather good idea, and Harry wished he realized it earlier. Even so he was happier being with his friends.

Hana wrinkled her nose. "I hope we won't have to go through a pub here."

"That makes two of us," Tsuna murmured darkly, eyes narrowing at the thought of entering a pub with much disdain.

Harry thought that was a rather odd reaction from the normally optimistic brunet. He openly stared at Tsuna's expression. It was strange to see him wearing such a look; it didn't suit him at all. Judging by the way Reborn glanced at his student, it seemed he understood the reason for the sudden mood change in the other. Catching onto the looks he was receiving, the brunet waved his hands and reassured them with a forced smile. He rushed to the front of the group, swaying back and forth as he walked. None of them had the heart to question his behaviour, but frowns were all around before being washed away in acceptance. Gokudera took the lead, joining Tsuna up front, and was quickly followed by Takeshi and Ryohei.

Glancing sideways Harry's eyes met Hana's controlled pools of violet, and slowly he arched a brow at her. She shook her head, frowning tightly. Harry gave the tiniest of nods in response to her, understanding the silent words directed towards him.

For now they would let the matter rest for the moment.

"These shoes are starting to kill me," Hana murmured harshly under her breath.

"If they're so painful to wear, why wear them in the first place?" Harry inquired back, giving her a significant look. That was one of the many questions that plagued him, seeing his Aunt Petunia wear those high heels before complaining how painful they were afterwards. It never made sense to him.

She waved dismissively. "It's a girl thing. Don't worry about it."

"Then I won't." Harry wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the real reason.

Her smirk made him roll his eyes. There was a hint of smugness coming from that smile of hers. Harry gave his head a shake in bemusement, quickening his pace to rejoin the front of the group in tandem with Hana's speed.

Harry's attention was split between his wand and the group's conversations. His wand made very sharp turns in his hand as it barely kept up with the rate it spun. He took solace in that it didn't seem much longer before they reached their destination.

Noticing that his wand began to focus on one general direction, he announced this to everyone else. The look that passed over the group's faces told him everything he needed to know. His mouth twitched slightly, and he pressed his lips together to stop a grin from stretching across his face. Personally the walk hadn't been that bad on his feet. Though he briefly wondered if the relief he had seen was because they were closing in on the Japanese magical community.

The group ended up standing in front of a rather sturdy building with a sign plastered across the top, curving from right to left. On it, 'Chance' was embellished in golden paint on a dark purple background. Clear windows showed merchandise — old and rusted in appearance, yet holding an enticing allure about them. A shop as the entrance? It wasn't a pub at least.

He pushed to the head of the group, entering through the front door nonchalantly. Chimes ringing loudly upon his entry, he made a beeline straight to the front desk, the others following behind him. The inside of the building reminded him eerily of a casino as the layout was greatly spaced out, wrapping around in a circular fashion and spreading far towards the back. Perhaps it was a trick of the eyes, but the back seemed way too far — he was barely able to see it through the dark patches of the shop. Harry's lips curled into a small frown, glancing at the still empty desk.

MM huffed, arms folded against her chest. "What, is this place empty? How lame!"

"Did we really come out all this way here for nothing?" Haru pouted at that thought.

Tsuna didn't seem so sure about that. His lips pressing together thoughtfully and his eyes landed upon the desk. "We could ring the bell that's on there," the brunet remarked, pointing to the bell that lay behind the lamp next to the register.

Takeshi laughed. "Tsuna has a point, let's press it. Someone should show up, the door is open after all. They're probably just in the back!"

"Of course, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera remarked passionately, smirking widely at the brunet and gesturing forwards. "You should press it!"

"H-huh, m-me? I don't think that's a good idea. A-after all Harry is the one that brought us here and is the one that has magic. I think he should be the one who presses it." Tsuna waved his hands frantically in defense, shaking his head wildly and pushing the responsibility onto Harry. "His wand led us here, right? So what if the bell only reacts to someone who's magical? I mean, this is where we're supposed to go." He stumbled over his words fretfully, trying his best to explain his own thoughts.

Hana stared approvingly, allowing a smile to touch her lips. "You could have something there, Tsuna."

"Maybe we might see some magic!" Kyoko commented cheerfully, clapping her hands together at the prospect, giggling happily.

Harry fell silent, thinking over the idea for several moments. It wasn't like they had anything to lose. He hit the bell, causing a sharp, loud echo to pierce through the room. The group fell back into silence, waiting patiently.

"You rang?" A deep baritone voice sang bemusedly. Emerald eyes flew straight to the source and opened widely to discover none other than the Owner. The man's smile was filled with a knowing smugness as his hand rested on his hip. Eyes gleaming with a faint hint of mirth, he approached them from behind the desk, casually and out of nowhere. "I heard you ring the bell, so here I am. I apologize for not being here fast enough." The Owner bowed his head.

While no one commented on his arrival, faint sighs were heard from the girls — Haru in particular, with blushing faces from Kyoko and MM, and a slight redness from Hana. Somehow Harry wasn't surprised by their reactions with how handsome the Owner looked, something that even he had to agree with. The older man was rather dashing. Pushing that thought aside, he knew that it was time to get down to business.

Massaging his temple gained the man's attention. Harry stepped forward once more, standing in front of the other man and just when Harry opened his mouth, the teen was swiftly cut off when his hand was taken and held up.

"Ahhh," the Owner began, approvingly, gazing at the ring attached to his finger. "I see you've been keeping the ring I gave you in good shape!"

Before Harry could even get a word out, the group instantly crowded around him to stare at the ring. Whispers of awe circled in the air as people eyed the object with appreciation. The suddenness of their actions almost made him knock back into the shelves. Feeling rather awkward from their scrutiny, he pulled his hand away as he shuffled on his feet. He didn't like it when people stared like that — though he'd taken some pleasure in that they were impressed by the ring and not his scar. It was a new type of staring that Harry found he didn't quite mind as much and slowly found himself flushing from it.

"That's a beautiful ring. Did you get it from here?" Haru instantly leaped into questioning the object eagerly as her eyes shined brightly.

Reborn didn't seem to share the same glee. "How long have you had that ring?" The non-infant had a stern tone as he eyed him with a frown on his face. His eyes glanced subtly at the Owner and returned onto him. "I haven't seen you wear that ring at all."

_What?_ His brows furrowed as he frowned. "I've been wearing the ring since ... I guess August or around then?" Harry answered hesitantly, licking his lips in thought. It seemed that had been around the time when he first encountered the man.

"The only time I've ever really taken the ring off is when I sleep. Are you just noticing that I have it now?" Something didn't add up. There didn't seem to be any enchantments on the ring as far as Harry could feel. It looked and appeared to be an ordinary ring barring the fact that it allowed him to use magic without being traced. Besides that, it was just a normal ring.

He sincerely doubted it was obliviousness on Reborn's part; Harry learned that little lesson rather quickly. The non-infant was fast on the uptake and always seemed to know more than he let on. Hearing that not even he had noticed it was something to take into account.

The non-infant didn't respond, keeping his stoic gaze and falling completely silent.

Gamma threw the Owner a look. "So are you going to introduce yourself to us, or explain what kind of store this is?" The blond looked rather unimpressed so far, coming off far more annoyed and bored. His hand slid into his pocket as the other swung by his side, his eyes focused on the shelves he stood next to and took to eyeing the wares.

"Ah, my apologies!" The Owner bowed politely, his arm placed over his upper chest. "My name is Owen, and I am the owner of this little establishment. It is an antique shop, more or less, as it also doubles as a bookstore at the far back. You are all welcome to browse for as long as you'd like."

Harry blanched. _Owner ... Owen. Okay now _that's _just terrible! _That pun made him want to groan then and there; it was one of the better ones but still!

"Actually, u-um Owen-san, we're trying to well ..." Tsuna hesitated for a moment. "We're trying to find our way to the magic side." Harry's eyes flew towards him, noticing his firm tone, while the brunet stared up at 'Owen.' Unfortunately, it seemed his air of confidence quickly dissolved. "I-I mean, if you know how to get there. I-It would be great!"

It seemed that Tsuna's timidity was for naught as 'Owen' smiled deeply. "Ah, yes. I figured that's what you were here for." He pointed down through the middle of the room. "Straight down there is the door that will lead you to the magical district of Japan; if you're headed to check in with the Ministry head down and just turn to the left. You can't miss the building," the man explained, eyes peering away from the path back to them, wearing a bright smile on his face. "I do hope you'll check what I have in stock before leaving for the day."

"We'll check around," Reborn answered flippantly, frowning thinly.

Deciding to take the lead, Harry led the rest of the group towards the back as they were directed, moving quickly and ending up at a black door. It swung open widely, allowing them to take their first steps into the magical side of Japan.

His eyes widened staring beyond the door as the rays from the sun began to shine down before him. Soft gasps could he heard from his friends, behind him. They were as captivate like himself, unable to tear away from the other side laying before him, it had been their first experience with going to a whole new world.

Harry turned to them and grinned. "Shall we be off?"

* * *

><p><em>Stunning <em>didn't even begin to describe the Japanese magical district. It seemed it was one of the few magical areas that decided to keep up with the modern area, while still managing to keep an ancient feel to it. Instead of robes, pointed hats and sashes, everyone around him was dressed rather normally: muggle-wise for the most part, but keeping with magical trends. Even the buildings — while looking more like normal houses — maintained a sense of old wonder. Smiles broke out on the group's faces as the many stores and constructs entered their lines of sight.

Unfortunately, Harry was forced to split off from the rest of his friends to meet with the Minister for Magic, or at least to schedule some sort of appointment. Not that he knew how long it would take him to meet with someone to arrange said appointment. He didn't have much knowledge when it came to bureaucracy, only that no one played fair and everyone had their own agenda. At least that was what Harry believed after his second and third years at Hogwarts. It added to the distrust he felt towards the adults in the first place; the ones Harry relied on were few and could be counted on one hand. Still there wasn't much of a choice in the matter, so he gathered his courage and headed down the hall, looking around at the large space, allowing his eyes to wander before proceeding on.

Owen handed him the directions to the ministry from his store, but he was uncertain if leaving his friends in the magical side was the brightest idea. They were non-magical; thus if they were caught, it would devolve into absolute chaos, something he wasn't about to let happen. He planned on having them return to the non-magical side once he found the entrance. That way, he'd be able to take care of business while they were exploring Tokyo. However, the Owner ended up reassuring him of their protection by providing them with enchantments and charms while they explored to their hearts' content. While grateful for his assistance, he didn't quite know how to feel, worrying over something supposedly minor. Even so, Harry continued to be rather uncertain, desperately wanting to get back to his friends quickly.

To make matters worse, a lot of the signs that came into view had all been in kanji, something that Harry continued to have difficulty in. Though he got progressively better, there were several characters he still struggled with. He did manage to spot a few signs in English written here and there; there were signs in German and one in French as well. It brought him relief to know that the area seemed to be multi-lingual.

Taking in the surrounding area, the liveliness of the people stuck out the most. The excited energy bouncing off the crowds hadn't gone unnoticed by Harry. He watched them, taking note of the more modern styled clothing that some of the younger people wore. Their robes seemed to resemble suits, but retained long tails at the end with wrappings around the front. Wearing ties did not seem to come off as school uniforms but rather casual wear.

Older folk continued to wear traditional styled clothing from what he could understand. Not exactly kimonos, but they held an air of distinction around them. The vast difference in demeanour had also caught him by surprise, and as he nodded kindly to an elderly woman, she returned the gesture.

Tearing his gaze away, Harry focused his attention to getting to the Ministry of Magic.

Thankfully, someone had been polite enough to direct him towards the main desk of the building. Sitting in front, a woman was busy looking through some files, eyes narrowed and all, focused upon the work in front of her. He waited for several moments before realizing that in order to gain her attention he'd have to interrupt her work. He gave a tiny cough, which went unnoticed. His lips curled slightly and he glanced around nervously before coughing once more. Once again she didn't notice.

"Um ... sorry, excuse me. Miss?" Harry spoke up clearly, this time grabbing her attention.

The secretary placed her file on the desk, plastering a smile on her face. "Yes. May I help you, little boy?"

Irritation spiked within him, but he ignored it. "Yes, actually. I was wondering if it would be possible to talk with the Japanese Minister for Magic or schedule an appointment with him? It's important, miss," Harry answered her diplomatically, ignoring the condescending stare she gave him.

"I will try to schedule you in for an appointment, but I make no promises," she responded to him curtly, glancing back at him once she opened a book. "Your name?"

"Harry, miss. Harry Potter."

Those words made her freeze in place and drop her quill. She stared at him for several moments, opening her mouth before it closed abruptly. Her eyes flickered to his forehead; swallowing thickly, she stood up. While she openly stared at the scar she nodded, swallowing visibly as she passed her desk.

"I shall go and inform the Minister immediately. Please wait here." She disappeared quickly behind the doors to the right, and not even a moment later did she emerge, straightening in a professional posture and nodding her head. "Potter-sama, the Minister shall see you now."

That was fast. He didn't complain, however, and calmly proceeded to the next room, giving her his thanks and flashing a polite smile before fully entering the office. It looked almost as big as Professor Dumbledore's office, except it was covered in dark navy colors mixed with green and red. Along the walls were cabinets and at the front of the room, deep red drapes extended across the wall, curving inwards. Harry inhaled upon entering, his eyes landing on the man who sat in his chair by the desk in the front.

"I bid you welcome, Potter-sama." The teen felt his body coming to a halt, as he looked at the man before him, a _very _tall man with a sharp suit and oddly enough deep _green _hair. From appearances alone, Harry pegged him to be at least in his late thirties to early forties. "I am Kimura Makoto, the Japanese Minister. It is an honour to meet you face to face." He gestured to the chair before his desk. "Please take a seat."

Harry blinked, stunned, and rubbed the back of his neck. He was still confused as to why the man had _green _hair of all things! Silently, he sat in the chair before the minister. "J-Just Harry would be fine, sir. Erm ... I mean, Kimura-sama?" Suffixes were also not his forte as he stumbled over it briefly and wondered if he used it correctly now.

"I don't really understand why it's an honour to meet me. I mean, I'm just me after all," Harry elaborated, further confused by the respectful tone and bow he was given.

Kimura appeared perplexed before a dawning expression appeared. "You are a legend, Harry. Your name has reached the far corners of the earth; your defeat of the Dark Lord is well known in each magical community."

"Why though?" Harry frowned thinly at the answer. "I thought Voldemort was just a European problem."

"Do not fool yourself, child. Voldemort wasn't just a simple Dark Lord; he was literally the most feared Dark Lord through the ages. A man so twisted, so evil, wouldn't stop his reign of terror to just your country," Kimura stated grimly, his expression hardened. "That ... monster was an abomination! It was good you stopped him when you had; otherwise the world would have been plunged into chaos. Believe me when I say that no one wanted someone of the likeness of Grindelwald and Hitler."

Harry could not deny that the Minister had a point in that regard. Voldemort wasn't the type to simply be satisfied with just conquering a mere country. He would have expanded his war across the borders, slowly taking continent after continent. "I know what you're trying to say, but I still don't think it was all me. My mother planned a part in his downfall, at least." His emerald eyes flickered at the taller man, nervously. He felt awkward, as he was, unable to truly accept the praise he was given. It made him feel like a child. "That's what I believe anyway. I don't know if she used some sort of magic or even did something to me prior to her death."

"You are very modest, Harry." The Minister nodded sharply. "Very modest indeed. However that isn't the reason why you've come to meet me here today. Is it not?"

"Ah, well yes. Kind of, sir." Harry didn't even know where to start. "To be blunt, my relatives dumped me here in Japan with only my passport, my wand and a few personal items. I don't want to cause any trouble, sir, but I thought to let you know of the situation to avoid possible consequences."

Kimura's lips pressed thinly. "I will talk with Foreign Affairs to see what they'll be able to do. It might take awhile. I assuming you are staying somewhere in the non-magical side?"

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Call it intuition," the Minister responded cryptically, smiling faintly. As he waved his hand dismissively, he rose from his chair. "I will send you a letter via an owl once I am able to get an update on the matter. But," he leaned forward on his desk, "You should be aware that your disappearance from the British wizarding community had caused a bit of a commotion. Understand this: I will be forced to reveal your location as my silence would cause friction between our two countries."

Harry fell silent at the man's words. "I don't really know what I want to tell you," he confessed to him truthfully. A part of him desired to say something to his friends back home, yet there was another part within that prevented him from doing so.

"I see. When you have decided, please let me know," Kimura vowed calmly. "Now is that all?"

No. That wasn't all ... the teen paused, licking his lips slowly as he thought of how to approach this possible problem. It might be the only chance he got, and frankly Harry wasn't going to blow it. Summoning every ounce of strength and courage that laid deep within, he held his head up high and met the man with determination.

"Minister Kimura ... what do you know of the Sirius Black case?"

* * *

><p><em>Sirius Chronicles 2<br>Zakuro. _The man who spotted Sirius using magic was Zakuro.

After failing to defuse the situation, things took a strange turn when the younger man had prompted Sirius to follow him home. Though suspicious of the request, Sirius's own curiosity hadn't relented. Tagging from behind, he kept a reasonable distance between the two, cautious and distrustful of the young man before him.

His knowledge of how far his infamy had spread across the world remained a mystery to the wizard. Keeping a low profile since leaving Britain had been successful so far, and he had absolutely no desire to return to the hellhole that was Azkaban Prison — or worse, receiving the Kiss under Fudge's orders. Sirius shuddered at the very thought of it. Running away now seemed almost pointless since he already agreed to the redhead. He was perturbed by how quickly the man asked him to follow.

Taking in the surrounding area, the wizard couldn't help but notice the dead trees and rot they passed by. It struck him as odd since it was still summer. Then again what did he know of Italy and the way their seasons worked? Absolutely nothing. Still ... his lips curled into a thin frown as he continued to accompany the younger man walking hurriedly ahead of him. Sirius shook his head. Who was he to question where one lived?

After all with where he grew up, anywhere had to be better than Grimmauld Place!

It wasn't until he had stumbled upon an old, wrecked wooden shack that Sirius began to rethink his previous thoughts. How could anyone live in something like that? Never mind that it looked ready to topple over, but it looked old. Very, very old and worn down, and that wasn't even bringing up the size either! The shack was far too small for someone like Zakuro to live in by himself. His worst fears were confirmed upon entering the house and gazing around the one room.

The hovel was far too cramped, barely having enough room for anyone to sleep. A table was in the very centre of the room, taking up the majority of the 'house,' with shelves taking up another small chunk and a 'kitchen' that looked barely usable on the opposite end — and lastly a bed. Just one bed.

Things grew even worse once he realized that there was a young girl lying in the bed, cheeks swelled red. Forcing her eyes open, she greeted the two with a forced, tired smile. "W-welcome home," she croaked, and then coughed terribly.

Zakuro moved towards her in a split second, holding her shoulders gently as she shook in his arms. The expression that appeared on his face said everything. The sheer desperation that gleamed so helplessly ... that was enough for him to understand why the younger man had brought Sirius here.

His sister was sick. So very, very sick and needed help. His knowledge in the medical arts was limited. What he knew of the required healing magics and medical potions came from the Auror Corps and from attending Hogwarts. Even so, he was the best bet they had. Sirius didn't know this little girl, but he'd make sure to do his best to help her.

If their positions were reversed and this girl was Harry, he wouldn't have hesitated getting as much help as possible for his godson.

Sirius looked to Zakuro. "I'll help."

Chapter 16 end.

The long awaited chapter 16 has finally arrived! Sorry for the long wait, real life has been busy for both myself as well as my amazing beta, whom all of you should give thanks to! But you'll be pleased to know that chapter 19 has started with 17 and 19 currently being edited! So please look forward to it!

With the revelation of magic to the group, the plot is going to start picking up!

Until next time!

Make sure to leave a constructive review!


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